Aren't you tired of this?

   So I'm looking at some of my friends' updates on Facebook, and inevitably there's some about how Obama's old best friend from third grade think's he's a crappy president because he wasn't good at kickball and he still isn't. Then there's someone linking to an article about how Romney likes cheeseburgers, and how that makes him the best candidate for president since George Washington, because 'ol George loved a good burger. Then you read the comments of either article, and someone in there calls the author of the article a sexist, neoclassic cubist moron, or a red-winged blackbird thermo-nucleotidist weakling, because they don't understand anything at all, and they're only out for the good of the League of Democratic Nucleotide Hamsters, so their agenda can't be trusted. Even people who would normally be nice (or at least civil) to each other, seem to get into arguments about important issues like whether Obama dyes his hair, or whether Mitt's name was changed after he accepted an advertising payoff from Wilson sporting goods.

  Inevitably, my musings, moved by these important discussions of meaningful issues, turn to one simple thought. What is WRONG with all these people?! Are they nuts?! Do these hate-spouting, mud-slinging, verbally obfuscating discussions have ANYTHING at all to do with making actual improvements in our society? And for those who believe they do, come over here and take this frying pan, and hit yourself on the head with it repeatedly. I promise, it's for the good of the country. It will create jobs, cause babies to wave tiny American flags, and make people stop cutting you off on the freeway. I promise! What do you mean, it won't work? Of course it will! I promised you, didn't I? That's really all you need to hear, right?

   What would happen if the rank & file citizens of our country stood up and said--"Hey you, politicians! I'm tired of paying you a six-figure income while myself and 1/3 of everyone I know have been out of work for over a year! I don't CARE about the time when you were eight years old and thought girls were icky! I don't want to watch you argue with each other on TV and pretend like I understand all the fancy, meaningless vocabulary, or that I believe all the made-up garbage you're promising to do once you get into office! I'm done!"

What if nobody showed up at the polls? What if Americans were so disgusted with all the lying, cheating, payoffs, and such that they said "To heck with you!" What if everyone in the country decided they would only pay taxes on MERIT? You don't do the job (in other words, you don't accomplish anything truly meaningful in office), you DON'T GET PAID. Honestly, why are we spending OUR money to support knuckle-headed morons who can't seem to accomplish anything but spending billions and securing a wealthy pension?

I'm not talking about a boycott, or a rally, or anything like that. Let's just stop paying them, go on about our business, and let them argue themselves to death up on that silly hill. Heck, some of them may even decide to change their ways and become productive members of society--if they can find a job, of course. And maybe some people who actually want to do the job (rather than just being in it for the power, money, or fame) will eventually show up to claim these vacant positions.

Now let me be clear--I'm not a tea-party-er, or a left-wing, right-wing, up-wing, down-wing or swept wing person. I'm conservative in my views, but I don't side with any political party. I have one overriding view about politics. They SUCK. Politicians are a pack of liars and thieves, more interesting in defaming each other and getting money than they ever will be in making real changes to benefit our society. Until we have people in government who can't vote for raises for themselves, or accept payoffs from big corporations, or do whatever they want once in office with no way for the people to stop them, we will never have a government worth supporting.

I'm so very tired of hearing why this politician or that politician should be in office or shouldn't. Over and over again, politicians of our day and age have shown one common ability--the ability to accomplish nothing of value while spending horrendous amounts of money. Or in other words, the ability to get a job and not do it, be paid way more than they could possibly deserve, and get an overlarge pension paid to them for the rest of their lives for the work they didn't do.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." So why do we keep thinking voting for a different idiot to sit on the throne is somehow going to make all the idiocy stop?

What happened to 2011? Oh well...

So my new stepson started his own blog--which got me thinking about this one, and made me feel like I ought to post something. So here I am. What's up with me?

TV: Very much enjoying two new shows created by people involved in LOST.

Once Upon A Time seems a little girly at first, but it's actually pretty good. Every fairy tale character you've ever heard of--who coincidentally all lived in the same magical kingdom--got cursed. So what's the curse? They have to go live in our world (yeah that is pretty stinky, isn't it?), they can't remember who they are, and oh yeah--they can never leave this tiny little town in Maine where they live (somehow they never notice that part). The only people in town who know the truth are the evil queen (now the obsessively power-hungry mayor), her adopted son (who nobody believes because he's a kid), and the local pawn-shop owner (random, I know--but his character is pretty cool). The protagonist is a blond P.I. who chases bail-jumpers and just happens to be the mayor's son's biological mom. Got that? Pretty cool show--some good twists.

Alcatraz is a show created by J.J. Abrams, who created LOST. The premise is that when Alcatraz State Penitentiary shut down in 1963, all the prisoners weren't transferred, they vanished into thin air. Naturally the government covered it up (I mean, really--when do they NOT cover up anything even remotely out of the ordinary? At least according to TV) until some of the prisoners start randomly showing up--still the same age they were when they disappeared--on the streets of San Francisco. A plucky young female cop gets pulled into the fray by the sorta-creepy black-suited government guy who seems to know more than he's telling, and they drag in an author who's an expert on Alcatraz history (Yay Hurley!....I mean Hugo....I mean Jorge Garcia) as comedy relief, and the (weekly) chase is on! (Thankfully the prisoners are thoughtful enough to only show up one per week--keeps the episodes even). The scenes go back and forth between the 1960s in Alcatraz and present day, which is fun for the history buff in me. And there are plenty of mysteries (ala LOST) to keep you intrigued. Good times.

Life:

I've been married (and no one is more surprised by that than me) almost a year now to a wonderful lady who loves me and plays video games with me, watches Star Trek and Boy Meets World with me, heck she even finds it attractive when I do something smart/geeky! I keep asking her if she's pretending to like this stuff to be nice, and she insists that she isn't. I finally have some good luck in love--and it's great. I'm really happy. I also get a son out of the deal--who likes me, likes video games, and wants to spend time with his parents. For once in my life, I feel like a pretty lucky guy.

Video Games:

Terraria is the game that keeps on giving! Myself, my wife and son all played it to death together about six months ago, and had a lot of fun. Got tired of it when there was nothing new left to do though, so we gave it up. Now low and behold, it's back with a bunch of new (free!) content and we're at it again! Very fun, simple to learn, but challenging and always giving you new stuff to do/try/fight/etc. Great game.

Skyrim is awesome in it's own right--complex, beautiful graphics, good storyline and voice acting, 101 quests to do without even advancing the storyline one iota. Only downside--1 player only. Too bad. Now if I could just get my son to stop telling me about parts before I get to them... Violence level can be a little high. Not a game for little kids, but lots of fun.

Both games are more than worth the price tag, especially Terraria. Awesome bang for your buck.

Job front:

Finally decided to jump in and become a substitute teacher. Even got hired on by my son's school district! Well, almost--they haven't finalized it yet, but I'm supposed to hear from them soon. Then I might finally get into a job I actually LIKE!

Church:

I'm co-teaching Sunbeams (3-4 year olds) with my sweet wife. It's cool, just trying to get used to working with that age group. They're cute kids. Also am a home teacher, trying to keep up with that.

Still spending a fair amount of time with genealogy, which has become a passion. I love doing detective work and finding a new family (or even a new individual) to add to my tree. So addictive! Maybe someday I could become a professional genealogist as a side job :)

Think that's enough of a novel for now. Life is good. Hope everyone out there is enjoying theirs too. Keep smiling.

A couple questions about Obama

First--I am not a political person. I HATE listening to people argue about how this politician is a fool, and anyone who follows them is too. Mainly because someone else will come along and say the same thing right back. Politics has so little to do with goodness and real change these days, I don't find it worth the effort trying to figure out who is being the least dishonest.

Now that that's cleared up, a couple things with what Obama is doing don't make sense to me--enough so that I don't really trust him. Here they are:

1. People complain about how much money his administration is spending. There are different arguments as to why that's okay or why it isn't, but one thing stands out. Obama has seen fit to borrow millions upon millions from the People's Republic of China. China has one of the worst human rights violations records in the WORLD. They are one of the last functioning communist nations on the planet, a governmental system that goes against almost everything our governmental system espouses. Do we REALLY want these people as our creditors? If Barack's plan doesn't work--are these the type of people we want to owe money to? How is that not as scary to everyone that hears it as it is to me?

2. There are loads of arguments for & against universal healthcare. I'm not interested in debating that. But if Obama and his fellow politicians really believe in universal healthcare, why did they include something in the bill saying that they don't have to use it, when the rest of us are required to? Doesn't that sound kinda suspicious? Would you buy a car from someone who refused to ride in it? And those who believe universal healthcare 'levels the playing field' between rich and poor--shouldn't Obama and the other politicians have to play too? Why would they be exempt? Something just doesn't seem right about that, if you ask me.

So do I really want answers to these questions? Probably not. Because those will probably take the form of negativity and name-calling if anyone besides my family and friends read this. But doesn't this stuff make you think? Sure does for me.

How to ruin a beautiful spring day

So today when I got out of church it was beautiful outside. One of those early spring days where you sit near an open door and it just calls to you-- "come outside, run around, play, have some fun!" Even if you're trying to keep the sabbath and all, you at least feel like opening your windows and letting in some fresh, lukewarm air before another rain comes and makes the outdoors all soggy and unappealing again. On my way home I opened my sunroof (and any day where I can open my sunroof is a good day), and a couple of the car windows to enjoy the weather.

In the course of my travels, I got a whiff of something that reminded me why I probably wouldn't bother opening the windows at home. Cigarette smoke. Somewhere up the line of cars waiting at a stoplight was a person so enamored with their bad habit that they assumed everyone behind them would enjoy the vile aroma just as much as they do--so they opened up the car windows and let their personal pollution out for everyone to enjoy.

Now understand this--I know some great people that smoke. Smoking does not automatically make someone a selfish pig--but many smokers seem completely inconsiderate of people around them, so it's a hard habit not to hate. If I suddenly decided never to shower again, waited a month, and then went out on my apartment balcony without a shirt on, turned a big fan on behind me and raised my arms so the smell could spread on the wind, I would be just as considerate as those smokers who, without concern for those around them, light up and start blowing carcinogenic chemicals into the atmosphere. It is a disgusting and dangerous habit--so no matter how important it may be to the smoker, there needs to be a better way to make sure the smoker is the only one enjoying his/her slow-acting personal suicide method.

Do I sound bitter? Yeah, just a bit. Since moving into my apartment a year ago, I've discovered something. Smokers have more legal rights than non-smokers. My complex is very nice---lots of large trees, well kept grounds and facilities, and in a good, safe neighborhood. One thing it does not have (other than assigned parking spaces, which is a ridiculousness I won't even get into), is any rules about smoking outside. And apparently there are some hard core chain smokers in my little neighborhood. During the summer time in California's central valley, it's common (and saves a lot of electricity - that's trendy too, right?) for folks to open all the windows during the cooler evening hours. This helps the home cool down and refreshes the recirculated air your A/C has been pumping all day so you get a little more oxygen content. Sounds good right? Yeah, not so much. Apparently one or several of my neighbors are serious nicotine addicts, because about every 45 minutes, cigarette smoke starts drifting into my apartment. That wonderful, cool fresh air turns into the smell of industrial waste factories and only gets worse the longer I leave my windows open. Not only is this disgusting, it's offensive. Why should I have to put up with someone else's problem? Why should my fresh air and enjoyment of my home, MY personal space, be ruined because of someone's legalized drug addiction?

The defensive types are saying now "Just close your windows then!" "Those people have a right to enjoy their vices!" I've done that. I also tried only opening a window on the other side of my apartment. Guess what? That malodorous substance somehow finds it's way into the other side of my apartment, and my fresh air is polluted again! I was happy to be in an apartment of my own, no roomies to deal with, taking care of my self--and it was infuriating to have to deal with someone else's crap despite the high price I was paying for my peace & quiet. So I called the management office and complained, asking them to take action with this problem. First of all, they ignored me--no return call. So now, more angry, I called again and spoke with a live person, asking that something be done. I was told there is no law/rule against smoking outside, and they couldn't do anything. They told me I could move to another unit, or talk to the neighbors and ask them not to smoke outside. But they could not do anything.

Needless to say, in my natural shyness, I really didn't fancy the idea of canvassing the neighborhood asking people to stop smoking. And I had just moved into my place--so going through all the hassle of moving again because of someone else's stench didn't really appeal either. Before long, fall & winter came on, and since I didn't really want to open my windows by then, their bad habit became less of a concern. Now that Spring is again slipping in among the cold wet days, with the promise of warmth & fresh air, my frustration is returning with it.

So the irony of my discovery is on my mind. Smokers have a 'right' to their bad habit. They have a 'right' to blow out clouds of carcinogenic chemicals with a stench that sticks to clothes, hair, teeth, and just about anything else it touches. And they have a 'right' to pollute the air outside my apartment, forcing me to close my windows. So what about MY rights? Why don't I have a right to enjoy some fresh air without it being polluted by people so addicted to a substance that they have to use it every 45 minutes? Why don't I have a right to NOT be breathing in a chemical compound that has been proven to cause cancer, emphysema, and numerous other diseases? Why are my rights to a pursuit of happiness (including my own good health) less important than the same rights of someone who finds happiness by pursuing a habit that is at the least, gross and smelly, and at worst, deadly? Alanis Morrissette has nothing on this kind of irony.

I would submit the following reasons. First, as Americans, we hold personal freedoms so dear as to consider them almost sacred. We send armed troops around the world trying to protect the personal freedoms of others. And groups in our society who were once treated differently than everyone else because of race, creed or color, now enjoy a much more level playing field (it's still nowhere near perfect, but it is improving) because of the hard work and strife faced by many Americans who saw the need for change. While these are good things, they have a flip side. Where does it stop? At what point do we say "that's enough"? That has proved a problem for us as a society. We have worked so hard to make sure we're "fair" to everyone's demands that we're terrified to ever stand up and say "no." So when it comes down to taking away 'rights' from one group of people to favor another--even for the common good, we hesitate or even ignore the decision so we don't have to do that. That's why legalized drug addicts (smokers) have more rights than someone trying to live a healthy life. Their habit may be disgusting, harmful to them and even harmful to those around us, but gosh, we wouldn't want to be unfair to them. I mean, what if they sued us?

Secondly, money. If America truly has anything resembling a state religion, it is the worship of the almighty dollar. Americans in almost every line of work are taught to value and revere profits above just about all else. The race to be profitable (or ideally, more profitable than the next guy) has risen above all other concerns. And guess what? Half of this country's original economy had it's foundation in tobacco growing! While that may not be as true today, tobacco companies continue to be incredibly wealthy and influential (Guess who owns Kraft foods?). And unfortunately, the kind of people attracted to politics in our society are much more impressed with large sums of money than they are with petitions or phone calls from constituents.

So that's my theory on the matter. Smoking is not only disgusting and smelly, it's highly addictive and deadly. It's damaging to those who smoke, and damaging to those around them. If we were as educated as we claim to be, it wouldn't be part of our society at all. But that will not happen so long as we are afraid to stand up and say "no", and so long as we care more about money than about doing the right thing. So we can expect this, oh...sometime after doomsday?

One more thing (lest you think I only have negative things to say) --I do have to say that the changes to smoking laws in the last 10 years do make me proud to be a Californian. Smoking is banned in most public buildings, restaurants, etc. And many hospitals are becoming completely smoke free. In most cases, smokers are forced to conduct their stinky habit outside, which (while still disgusting for anyone who wants to enjoy the out of doors) is a huge victory for the health and well-being of everyone, smokers included. It is my hope that continued education about the damaging effects of smoking will eventually lead to it's abandonment by the overwhelming majority of the population. Let common sense prevail for a healthier and less stinky tomorrow.

Random musings...

It seems sad to me that I have this silly blog and haven't posted a darn thing in more months than I care to count. Lots of things have been on my mind lately, so here are a few.

Boxee rocks my socks. Do you like watching videos from online sites like hulu, joost, or Youtube? Do you ever miss your fav TV show and go watch it the next day on the network's website? Ever wish you could transfer all that video goodness to your TV so you could watch it on the couch, instead of hunched in front of your computer? This program is for you (granted, that's a small slice of society, most likely, but still).

Boxee is software you can install on your computer that allows you easy access to all the scattered content mentioned above. Wanna watch an episode of Lost? Type it in, and Boxee will find sites that have it, and allow you to play it right there from the program's interface. It also connects to internet radio, Netflix streaming, and lots of other stuff. Best part--FREEEEEE!

So you're saying "but Rob, that doesn't help me unless I can hook up my computer to the TV, and that's just a pain!" Well....true. But not for long! This summer the Boxee company is releasing a set-top box that will do all of the above, just by connecting to your home wireless network. It's starting out a little steep ($199), but still cheaper than building a 2nd PC to hook up to the television. So that's one thing I'm excited about. My HTPC is rockin' Boxee and I'm loving it. :)

Stuff You Missed in History Class has become a minor addiction for me lately too. This is a podcast from the website HowStuffWorks.com, and each episode is dedicated to a different historical event/person/place. Often, they address historical questions, like "Did Betsy Ross really sew the first American flag?" Having a BA in History, I quite enjoy it and it gets me thinking. Even if you're not into history, the website has articles about just about everything--so go get yer' learn on and have some fun. In the meantime I'll be working my way through about 150 back episodes of the podcast (while trying to pretend I can quit my habit any time I want to).

I also finally learned how to set up a dual boot operating system on my laptop--that took about a week of headaches, but it's finally done. 'Nuff said.

And I am loving Pandora Radio. It's a free internet application that works like this: you sign up (free), and to create a personalized "station" for yourself, you put in the name of a band you like. The new station will then start playing songs by that band as well as contemporary bands from that genre. I punched in Information Society the first time I tried it and got a slough of awesome 80's synth-pop. That was on my iPhone. I tried it on my laptop the other night, and was pleasantly surprised to find my stations had been saved to my login account, and popped right up. More classic 80's musical goodness ensued. Good times for me and my modern equivalent of those big silver "boom boxes" the breakdancers used to carry around :D

I've also developed a mild addiction to slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com. I've found so many cool things for super cheap (and even some for free), that I started checking the sites every day. Despite the fact I've probably bought a lot of junk I didn't need to, it's very fun and satisfying to get great deals on stuff you wanted anyway.

So those are a few of the things occupying my brain at the moment. That and the massive brain-imploding wonder that is the final season of LOST...

Anyway, whomever is reading--have a great few months until I feel guilty enough to post on here again.

Why "Going Green" makes me feel green around the gills

Everyone seems to want to "Go Green" these days. All the advertisers have picked up on it--packaging now loudly proclaims this or that product as "Green!" or "Environmentally Friendly!" Big celebrity names are no doubt using it to bolster their own careers, or just to maintain a good public image. Big companies are jumping on the bandwagon too, with requirements that "green" supplies be ordered (which equals more money spent) --in the middle of the biggest economic downturn in my lifetime. Naturally there is some genuine concern for the planet and the environment involved--but also a large dollop of concern about the company's public image. What percentage of the whole does each of those occupy? Being a pessimist, you can guess my thoughts on that. Sitting through training about "Being Green" (unless it's taught by Kermit the Frog) is not my idea of a good (or even truly productive) time.

Is going green really "all that"? Let's put it this way--when I found out CFL bulbs last up to 9 years and use only a fraction of the electricity of incandescents, AND that they're not much more expensive, I was sold. You made a better product that uses existing technology in a more efficient way, AND you made it almost as affordable as the old product? Sounds great!

The only downside? What they don't advertise is that those bulbs can't just be tossed in the garbage when they burn out. They have to be recycled a special way because they contain mercury, a poisionous substance that we can't just throw in a landfill. I'm hoping they have fairly convenient ways to recycle these ticking time-bombs I just bought 9 years from now when they burn out. =P

The annoying part is that most of the "Green" products and technologies are much more expensive than standard products, and some have other serious side-effects, like my poisonous light bulbs. And things like recycling can be great if good, accessible facilities/services are in place for people to use, but enough of a royal pain to make you want to purposely avoid them if not. It's easy for big companies and big celebrities--and even governments--to say "Be green! It's important." But if they don't put their money where their mouths are--i.e. in providing easily accessible, user-friendly recycling services, and reasonably-priced, "green" alternatives to current products that won't require a haz-mat suit to throw away, people aren't going to go for it. I recently moved from house in a smaller city that provided a dedicated recycling bin for residents and picked it up with the weekly garbage. I now live in an apartment complex in a larger city with no recycling bins anywhere in sight. Personally, I'm too lazy to put much of my own hard-earned free time into running all over town with bags of recyclables in tow. So guess what happens?

"Green-ism", like any movement, has good points that are frequently carried to extremes. And "Green" training, "Green" celebrity endorsements, and "Green" advertising on every aisle at the grocery store is plenty extreme enough for me, thanks. To the big shots out there trying to promote this--not a bad idea, but for pete's sakes, shut up and DO something to make it more accessible to the common man. Until you do, don't expect it to ever be truly effective.

Why hurting--oops, I mean dating, sucks.

You know what is worse than finding out the once-love-of-your-life is now married? The irony that she's married to Mr. Wright :P *sigh* (well, that and the surmise that she's no longer active in the church).

Whoever said the universe doesn't have a sense of humor has clearly never met me.

Why does love have to suck so much? Why is dating such a pain? We meet a new person, get to know them and understand them--get a window into their world, so to speak--and then it doesn't work out and we lose that window, and most everything we were starting to see within. That specialness is gone. Yes, friendship is nice and can have some of that specialness--but it's never the same.

I can't complain about lack of dates, since that is going okay for me. Nothing super-fantastic as of yet, but I'm trying.

The whole process of connecting with another person that way--and then losing them when it doesn't work--just strikes me as sad. I know it doesn't always happen that way--but it has often enough with me to be saddening.

So once you've loved someone--and I mean truly loved them, not just dated for a bit or whatever--and then you lose them, does it ever really go away? It sure doesn't seem to for me, but I wonder how others have felt about that.

A poem I was thinking about recently (don't be too impressed, I found it inside the booklet of a Cure CD). Think it kind of applies to my thoughts on the sadness of dating & ending relationships.

We look before and after, And pine for what is not;

Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught;

Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought...

-"To a skylark", by Percy Shelley

For any who might have hoped for a clever, verbose posting here, I apologize. This one's scattered and rather disjointed. Just something I was thinking about--and since I happened to also think that I don't post on my blog enough, well here we are.

Latest Book I finished:

Watership Down, by Richard Adams

A book about a group of rabbits that leave their home and travel to a distant hill to start a new colony. Sounds odd (and it is), but cleverly done with some memorable, enjoyable characters & fun adventures. Worth a read. 50 cents from DI (I love bargain books at DI). I was curious to read it because I saw the animated film as a very young child and can only remember being terrified of the vicious "bad guy" rabbits that slashed the good rabbits with their claws. I couldn't get to sleep for a while that night, terrified of violent bunnies coming up my bunk bed to slice & dice me (I was probably 5 or 6 at the time). It's a little violent (not a book for young children), but overall quite enjoyable.

Moving, shaking, and......well, just moving.

I rented my very first apartment (that I've gotten all on my own) tonight. Crazy eh? Now I just have to pack my stuff so I can actually move in. Still some little details to worry about, but the main part is over, which is a huge relief. I can finally have friends over and do movie nights! And show off my cool TV! And leave dirty dishes in the sink whenever I feel like it!

Anyway, the complex is really pretty--big trees, lots of shade, really quiet & a really nice neighborhood. It's not as much closer to work as I wanted, but it's an awesome price for the size (767 sq ft). Check out some pics on their website. And I checked--my balcony is big enough for a hammock stand :D

And now I can also start looking into buying a house without jumping into anything too quickly.

My sis & her hubby & baby are going to move into my old room, so that will be cool too. I'll get to see them and my little nephew on a regular basis. Good times! :)

And this weekend is my family's Easter Brunch at a big park, the following week my sister's family will be here for a visit, and the week after that is a midsingles conference in SoCal. I think it's going to be a good month.

Why Call of Duty 4 rocks--and why nuclear energy is scary

So you don't think I'm totally blowing off the holidays: Merry Christmas! Looking forward to spending some time with family, and especially some time away from work. Now on to the topic at hand.

So I just finished the single player campaign in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. WOW. The intensity, the realism, the graphics--this is an amazing game. I boycotted it when it first came out because my system couldn't run it--and after that just never got into it. (I was also a little disappointed that the series left their WWII roots). But I got it for 1/2 price a couple weeks ago (Black Friday sale), so I've been playing the single player mode. Even within the first few levels, I was amazed. One took place on a cargo ship in the North Atlantic, where you were searching for a stolen nuclear device. By the end of the level, the ship was sinking--and you had to race across catwalks that were literally turning sideways to escape before you went down with her. And that was not the most intense level--really cool stuff. Infinity Ward, who developed this game, really outdid themselves with this one. If you have a computer that can run it--or a game console (like Xbox 360) and you like FPS games--I recommend this one. Do beware however, this is not a kid's game. There is some violence that is more severe than previous games in the series. That did bother me, but I didn't find it bad enough that it stopped me from enjoying it. My favorite level, however, is what brings me to my second topic.

The former town of Pripyat, Ukraine was home to about 50,000 people until the fateful day in 1986 when the soviet nuclear power plant at Chernobyl suffered a meltdown/explosion. I was 11, so I don't remember much about it--just that this big scary thing happened in a country where the government was really mean to the people. I knew it was scary and sad, but not much more than that. In recent months, I happened to learn about Pripyat--where else? Online! With a BA in History, an interest in old things comes naturally to me. Learning about an entire town where people had been forced to evacuate in about 36 hours, leaving almost everything exactly the way it was on that day for the next 20 years, was fascinating to me. A ghost town of the nuclear age, if you will. So I started looking up pictures and reading about it. Talk about creepy--a whole area, where people couldn't go for years without fear of radiation poisoning. Guard posts blocking off roads, warning signs--no, this isn't a movie. It's real. It really happened--a group of people no different than you or me were living their lives in their town (which was only a bit smaller than the town I lived in at the time), and they heard an explosion, and saw a huge plume of smoke in the distance. Shortly thereafter, they were told to evacuate and that they would be gone for 1-2 days at most. After they were safely away--"sorry, you can't ever go back there. Forget about your old family photos, your clothes, anything you left behind. And if you do try and go back, you'll be shot or get sick and die." Can you imagine? It's so hard to fathom. And along with the pictures of a ruined town with stuff strewn in the streets, a public pool now empty and dry with old garbage in the bottom, a rusty ferris wheel towering over it all--it becomes eerie, creepy and morbidly fascinating at the same time.

And while writing this, it occurs to me that there was a small nuclear power plant operating within several miles of my town when I was growing up. I camped near there once as a boy scout. Maybe it shouldn't be quite so hard to fathom? What if it had been my town forced to flee our homes, and not to come back for decades afterwards? I have a vivid imagination, but wow--that's tough to get my head around. Public vote shut the plant down in the late 80's, apparently due to low efficiency and rising costs--but the explosion of a few years before at Chernobyl can't have been far from those people's minds when they made that decision. Say what you will, but I'm sure glad to have been living in a democracy where people could make that choice. Holy cow.

So due to my mildly morbid fascination with Pripyat, my favorite level is one where, on the trail of said nuclear device, your character has to sneak into--guess where? Pripyat, to find an evil dictator in hiding with some nationalist rebels in the abandoned town. The game developers created a detailed map of the town for the the game, and I was looking forward to 'virtually' exploring the town through the game, since I probably won't ever get there in real life (not sure I want to either). The level was so intense however, I didn't get much chance to do so--I was too busy running from crazed nationalists. I did find a more limited version in multiplayer that I was able to explore, though. Pretty cool--and creepy.

To read more about Pripyat, click here.

To see photos, click here.

Some comparison shots (COD4 vs real life) for you (click for full image):

What the heck am I doing on here anyway?

Well, I noticed that I haven't posted anything on my blog in a few months--and according to my friend Shauna, that means you're not a "real" blogger. So, while I'm not committed enough to be a "real" blogger, I thought I might as well put something in so I don't seem like a complete slacker.

I used to do family Halloween parties for my cousins every year--and though it was exhausting, I had alot of fun doing it. I'd plan for months in advance, devise new games each year, hand-draw an elaborate invitation, spend hours decorating the house, usually getting done just in time to hear the first knock at the door (okay, so I often was still finishing after that knock at the door). Inevitably, there were disappointments in the process. Some people would leave early, stating they had to get up early the next morning. I'd arrange a contest or something that required guest participation, and only a few people (or none) would participate. Or I'd just realize it wasn't as big a deal to anyone else as I was to me. Finally it reached the point where I found that I was more and more tired trying to get everything done in time for the party. I started to resent it when people didn't have time or offer to help, and to even resent having to do the preparations period. In short, it became less of a fun hobby, and more of a chore that I didn't feel like I had the time or energy for anymore. Another thing had happened too--in the passing years, my audience had grown up. And like most grown-ups, their tastes, time constraints and interests had changed. It started to feel like people weren't enjoying having the party as much--and since I was starting to feel the same way about planning it, it seemed wise to let it go. I still love Halloween-I happily tell people it's my favorite holiday (yes, including Christmas, though I like Christmas too). But it's sad to me not having anything to get excited about anymore. I still record Halloween specials to watch, or rent scary movies. But I really miss picking out new props & decorations to buy, and decking the house out in black & orange. I miss coming up with new ideas for props I can build, and thinking of something cool I can draw for an invitation. I don't really want to do a yard haunt (some punk kids would probably steal half my props the first night), so I dunno--maybe I need to volunteer for a haunted house or something. *sigh*

This Halloween I went with my friend Shauna to take her son trunk or treating, then we went to a party in the bay area. The party kinda sucked--not a good thing to hang your hopes for your favorite holiday on, ya know? Poor attendance, a DJ who thought excessive bass made up for his cruddy music selection and the fact that half the songs only lasted 30 seconds, and a dearth of really creative costumes (though Shauna got points for a well-researched costume of Ash from Pokemon) made for kind of a bummer event.

It's also a little annoying that Halloween doesn't get its fair share of street cred as a holiday, ya know? We get days off for the birthdays of dead presidents and for....uh, laboring--but the only holiday that allows you to dress up like Abraham Lincoln or Papa Smurf without being carried off by the men in the white coats and we get nuthin.' NOT COOL.

So, to help us all feel a little more Halloween 'love, enjoy the following pic (click to enlarge):

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Opening ceremonies, or why Yao Ming is the MAN.

Please note: This post is not about the government of China--it's about the people of China. I do not agree with the human rights violations and other poor practices China's government has committed-but I have been happy to watch the citizens of China being able to shine.

Also: If you haven't watched the opening ceremonies yet and are planning to--beware, there are spoilers in here.

So I watched the opening ceremonies for the summer Olympic games at my friend's house last Friday, and they were really amazing. As someone who's spent time studying Chinese history, it made me very happy to see the people of China finally coming into their own. Despite a government that still has a lot to do to clean up their act, the people of our planet's largest nation finally got their chance to shine--and it was awesome!

Though one had to overlook the fact that so many millions were being spent on something frivolous--sports games instead of more social programs to help the greatest portion of China's population, the agrarian poor--the spectacle here was fantastic. My personal favorite was the part when square pillars moving up and down formed into moving art--patterns of ripples in a pool of water, for example. The best part was the discovery that this amazing effect was not being made by fancy computers, but by MEN inside those pillared shapes that were moving them up and down. It boggles my mind to think how hard that effect must have been to pull off.

It also touched me to see and hear about how much these games mean to Yao Ming. As China's most famous athlete, he's the symbol (albeit a very, very large one) of what hosting these games means to the Chinese people. He broke his foot several months ago and there were fears he wouldn't be able to play in the games. But he worked his tail off in rehabilitation to make sure he'd be able to be there and play for his country at this historic moment. Announcers talked about how much of a dream it was for him to be able to play for his national team, in his home country. And despite not being fully recovered, he's doing just that.

On TV, the announcers called this "China's Coming Out Party"--and it certainly is. These games are a Coming Out Party for almost a third of the world's population--people with great talents and abilities who've waited decades to show the world what they can do. They've been kept behind closed doors all this time--and their government is finally creaking those rusty-hinged doors open and allowing the curious world to peek inside. And more importantly, allowing their people a small peek out.

In ancient times, the Chinese were an intelligent, creative people who contributed a great deal to our world. Gunpowder & fireworks, the compass, paper--all Chinese inventions. Were it not for the incredibly rocky history they've had, I have no doubt that China could be an amazing country today. The world currently stands in awe of the Japanese, a small island nation with seemingly endless talents for creating high quality electronics, creative video games and entertainment, and cars and trucks of a workmanship that puts ol' Henry Ford to shame. Imagine if there were 1.3 BILLION of those people. Among that large a base population, how many brilliant inventors and creative artists might there be? How many new ideas? Had the histories of China & Japan been swapped--who knows what the creators of gunpowder, the compass and paper would have come up with by our modern century?

If this trend continues--it's going to be something to see when those doors open wide. Granted, there's a good ways to go yet. But when the Chinese people can finally join the rest of the world and share their talents and abilities, their ideas, just watch out. Our Chinese brothers and sisters may just have a lot to share with the rest of the human race. I'm looking forward to it.

Ducks fly together....and so do colleges and famous animators.

So over the past several years, I've noticed a number of times that the mascot for the University of Oregon bears a striking resemblance to the world's most famous duck. See for yourself:



I've seen it on an occasional T-shirt, baseball cap, and the other day on the side of a semi truck (of all places). Being a fan of said duck, I thought "hey, that's cool. I wonder if Disney knows about it?" Turns out (thanks to Wikipedia, the dispenser of all knowledge) that they do! Apparently back in the early days, drawings of the Oregonian web-footed mascot started to resemble Uncle Walt's favorite fowl more and more. Eventually, one of the coaches from UO, who happened to know Walt, met up with him and asked permission. And since Disney was actually run by a talented, creative individual at that time (rather than the pack of money-grubbing, bloodthirsty executives that charge $25 for a hot dog at Disneyland nowadays), they got it. Amazing what a handshake could do back in '47, eh?

After seeing the noble duck on the side of a semi the other day, I started thinking having a T-shirt with him on it would be nice (since the Disney people can't seem to make a good Donald t-shirt to save their lives), and I started to look online for one. Nothing. I found loads and loads of Oregon swag, but only ONE lame t-shirt with my revered duck on it. I looked everywhere, no luck.

But the wikipedia article had one more nugget of knowledge to share. Turns out that the Disney company (sans Walt and already reforming into the all powerful, cash-worshiping empire we know today) renegotiated the license of their character in the 70's, and a time or two more since then. In the most recent one, they forbade (or at least severely limited) UO from selling merchandise with their character's likeness on it outside of the state of Oregon. And since UO was becoming a big-time sports school, and wanted to market their junk to the masses, um...en masse, they demoted the dauntless duck to "secondary" logo in favor of a stylized "O" that has all the enigmatic charm & personality of your average kitchen appliance.

And since I'm a duck fan and not a sports fan--I can only respond to this in the manner our dear duck friend would respond:

PHOOEY!!

Sheesh Disney, get over yourselves. :P

UPDATE: Wouldn't you know it, right after I get done with my cleverly-worded rant about a t-shirt, I find this. Get one of your own and support Donald! (and UO, if you're into that sort of thing).

Settling...or Settlers....or something.

So a girl on an email list that I subscribe to (for young singles in my church) sent out an email today with a link to an article., and invited discussion:

"The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough"
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200803/single-marry

The author made many good points about why "settling" for someone that doesn't have everything you want is better than hoping the person you want will come along, in particular those who (like myself) aren't getting any younger. She feels that "settling" has gotten a bad rap, and we look at it negatively when we really shouldn't. She talks about how her priorities have changed since she was in her 20s--and now in her 40s, as a single mom, she wishes she just had someone to partner with her in building a life. He might not be perfectly handsome, he might not have a great singing voice or write beautiful poetry, heck he may not even "connect" with her--but she feels that if he was a good dad, and dependable, he'd be worth having. Or something like that. The articles meanders a bit, but it makes some interesting points.

I'm not married. I'm also 32--and in my faith, those two don't really (or aren't supposed to) go together. You're expected to marry in your 20s, have a few children and be well into a career by now. I don't meet that criteria. I find it incredibly ironic that people counsel individuals in my situation to "not dwell on" the fact that I'm not married, "don't obsess about it" and be "happily single." JOKE!! Just not a funny one. How the heck am I supposed to do that when my faith is ALL ABOUT THAT? Every week at church, I'm surrounded by young married couples. Every time I'm about to check out an attractive woman, I have to remind myself she's married and turn my attention elsewhere. And the church's idea of supporting me in this struggle is to put me into a singles program that includes everyone from age 31 to.....dead. Riiiiiiiiiiight. This after coming out of a very supportive "Young Single Adult" program that was tailored to the ages from 18-30. You might start to feel a little old for the crowd at the tail end, but at least you're not looking into Social Security. Holy crap.

Now the church doesn't actively preach "settling"--nor do I think they ever will. When you're LDS, and believe that marriage is for eternity (not just "til death do us part"), it changes that dynamic a bit. Certainly, you better kinda like spending time together, or eternity's gonna get old real fast. At the same time, I have heard church leaders say "any 2 people that are living the gospel of Jesus Christ can be compatible." So it's really left to a personal thing. If you're really that hard up, and you feel it's right for you--you can make the choice to "settle" or not. But of course, make sure to include God in the decision through prayer. That's what I've gotten out of what I've been taught anyway. I think the church would much rather you be in love with that person, and happy with them--but if you choose to settle they won't stop you.

But my personal take is this---settling is a bad idea. I say that because I've tried it in relationships before--with catastrophic results. "She likes me, why not?" is a dangerous line of thinking, in my experience. It only made me more miserable, since instead of just being lonely, now I felt dishonest. Feeling like that for the rest of my life is a depressing thought. Of course how depressing is it to think about waking up on Christmas morning when I'm 55 or 60 to an empty house? Nobody to open presents with, or watch It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. Then again, do I want to be jealous of George Bailey because I "settled"? Ay yi yi....

The author of that article does tone things down a bit though--she frames it this way: we grow and mature, and our priorities change. That guy that didn't seem dreamy enough to her 10 years ago, might not seem half bad now. Maybe a guy that plays volleyball and is in good shape isn't as important at this point as the guy that would be willing to get up and feed the baby at 3am, even if he does have a receding hairline. We're all gonna get old and ugly eventually anyway.

She has a good point--but I still have trouble with the idea of "settling". Here's how it is for me: I had what I felt was the perfect girl many years ago. We were in love, and I cared for her as I have cared for no one else before or since. It SHOULD have worked--but it didn't. My happily ever after fell in the gutter and washed down the drain (to complete the analogy, it was probably recycled into someone else's), and I've never come even remotely close to that feeling since. So here's the rub--do I want to "settle" for someone I can tolerate, or am fond of, or even kinda like, and accept that as the best I can do--when I know how good it can feel? One of my favorite songs contains the following lines:

Now I've swung back down again,
It's worse than it was before
If I hadn't seen such riches,
I could live with being poor

And that's the long and the short of it (and the third such phrase I've used in this rather verbose post). I've been rich--very rich. So poverty --no matter how comfortable--will always be (at least a little) bitter. Or maybe bittersweet.

Heck, maybe I can hire a lonely female friend to come watch It's A Wonderful Life with me every Christmas Eve. Then we can talk about how much we envy the main characters. Any takers? Now accepting applications.

P.S. And now, just because (mainly because this page is in need of pictures)--a picture of a cat in a sink.

Goethe/Live Oak/Riverbend/Some Maidu word most people won't try to pronounce Park

So a local park along the American River is having it's name changed, because the man it's named after apparently promoted eugenics, a 19th century theory that mental and physical defects are hereditary and that people with mental illness should be forcibly sterilized so they wouldn't have children and "pollute" the healthy hereditary lines. Later on people used it to justify racism and other rotten causes.

Pretty messed up, I agree--but as a student of history, I'd also point out that people had alot less knowledge and alot more biases back then. Besides, people are still using foolish ideas to justify their own, more foolish ideas. In 100 years we'll probably be taking their names off of park signs too. I respect the gesture, it's a nice thought. But it seems kind of pointless. Also interesting is this--wikipedia says Alexander Graham Bell was a proponent of eugenics too! Guess we all better stop using our phones :) I sincerely doubt there are many historical figures that didn't have something stupid they did/believed in during their lifetimes. But I guess we pick and choose who we're going to be proud of, and who we'll be ashamed of.

Other people will be wondering about the dumb stuff we concerned ourselves with in some far-off day. Will they condemn us for buying Kraft Mac & Cheese, since Kraft is owned by the Philip-Morris company, who knowingly sell addictive products that cause cancer and emphysema? What will they say about the cheap products we buy that are made by people who couldn't afford to buy the product they make themselves, since they're paid so poorly? Or about us depending on fossil fuels for transportation, when there are clean, non-polluting alternatives that would work just as well? And how about the millions we spend on entertainment while people are living homeless on the streets? What will they say about our society that centers around the mighty dollar? About the way we spend hours upon hours struggling our lives away to get this strange currency, often at the expense of growth, learning & exploration that could have made us better people while we lived? They'll be pulling our names off signs faster than you can blink, I betcha.

So the park system has asked the local populace to vote on several choices for the new name (hence the title of this post). I personally voted for the Maidu word--even though the locals won't bother learning how it's pronounced and will be slaughtering it for generations to come. I like the idea of giving some props to the Maidu--who have been so reduced in our time that I'd never heard of them until I took a class on local Anthropology. And I've lived here almost all my life! I never really liked the park's original name anyway--no one could agree on how it was supposed to be pronounced.

So I guess I'm saying--we should never honor bigotry or hatred--but we should be careful, lest we end up with no heroes at all. After all, nobody's perfect.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

Not that this is a new beginning, mind you. I just must be sufficiently bored to have started one of these "blog" things. And I think about different random things that I thought might be interesting to look in on later, when I'm in a different state of mind. And I also love that lyric, so it's worth repeating.

One thing I was thinking about this evening--does the LDS culture cause singles to be more concerned about age differences than someone outside the faith would be? Mormons are so marriage-obsessed that I find myself the male equivalent of an old maid at the ripe age of 32, looking at profiles on LDS dating sites, wondering what's wrong with me--so the tide of thoughts naturally flows in that sort of direction. It just makes me curious--I wonder if girls who are not LDS are less concerned about age differences? I don't really have any basis for conjecture in that area, only one girl who was 27 and said in her profile "no one over 30!" Personally I would be willing to date someone 5 years older, if we clicked, but that's just me. A somewhat vengeful part of me hopes that young lady stays single into her 30s and comes across a profile just like hers to put her in her place. Perhaps she'll feel differently with the shoe on the other foot, eh? It's just one of many requirements so many women seem to have on their profiles that I don't meet--so I try not to worry about it. But I do admit she's an anomaly, most LDS women don't seem near as concerned about age differences.

Playing alot of Guild Wars in the last few days, balanced out by alot of Burnout Paradise on the PS3 :) There really is nothing quite the same as boosting up to asinine speeds, making a huge jump, only to make a spectacular crash upon landing, watching your 3D rendered metal carcass smoosh up like an accordion. And Guild Wars new Eye of the North expansion is proving pretty enjoyable too. I spent an hour or two this afternoon "driving" a giant scorpion-turned-siege-tank around, killing monsters. Fun stuff.

My biggest frustration at the moment is my shiny new HTPC--which loses significant shine due to the fact I can't get it to go into standby, wake up to record, then go back into standby, without crashing. Tried everything save wiping the hard drive to start over, nothing works. Guess that's my next step.

Ah well, tomorrow starts another week of well-paid, but fairly meaningless work. Yay! :P

P.S. A Burnout Paradise vid for your enjoyment. :)