Grim News

No, I’m not dead, and I haven’t developed writers block because the election is over.

With the holidays coming up, I’ve been doing less writing and a little more “autoblogging” than normal because I’m doing more reading than writing these days.  It’s not like my schedule is going to improve, but when I have the chance, I’ll share whats on my mind other than the lines at Toys R’ Us. (Sam’s first Christmas, daddy is going all out, not that she’ll know what any of it is… It really is more fun to give than to receive.)

Speaking of family, one of my wife’s endearingly bad habits is watching what I like to call “train wreck TV”.  These “reality” shows (mostly on VH1 and MTV) range from the merely ridiculous (“Rock of Love“, with Bret Michaels… Wait a second, you mean to tell me that the lead singer of a hair metal band needs a reality show to meet women?) to the completely deranged (“Next“, where contestants earn money for each minute that they “survive” in the presence of the most vapid and shallow member of the opposite (or not) sex than MTV’s producers could find.)

But the all time champion in this arena is a show called “The PIckup Artist“  Take a dozen or so “losers”, given them a makeover, Hollywood style, and then watch them take advice from a self-styled “Pick up artist” named (get this) Mystery, along with a few random and forgettable sidekicks with equally ludicrous names. (Seriously, I’d like to see this guy in action… “Hi.  My name is Mystery.” followed by the inevitable snickering and giggling from his “target”.  Of course, in Hollyweird, such a line might actually work, and such a name might actually be genuine.)

What really kills me is that these coaches actually display a keen grasp of psychology.  They really do understand what the “mating dance” is all about, and they’ve refined such a “mysterious” (pun intended) art into textbook science.  I found myself learning something in spite of the repeated snickers and snorts from me and my wife.  What did I learn?

• Take care of yourself and your appearance.  If you don’t look like you can take care of yourself, how is any woman going to expect you to take care of her?

• Be relaxed, happy, and confident.  Sounds easier than it is sometimes, but nobody wants to be with a downer.

• Pay attention to hints, both verbal and non-verbal.  If she isn’t interested, stop wasting her, and your, time.

• Don’t be “too interested”.  Nobody wants a person who appears desperate.

Of course, there are finer points to each of these, and the show goes into these subjects in nauseating detail, but I have to give credit where it is due.  In the midst of reality-tv crap land, someone is actually taking time to espouse points that are applicable to normal, healthy adults.

One might think that these points are somewhat obvious.  If you are one of those people, take a second and give your significant other a squeeze and take comfort in the fact that you have already succeeded in the mating dance.   Remind yourself that you were once that “shy guy” or “shy girl”.

Anyhoo, that’s all for me on a Monday.  I’m going to go play with my kid before I go to work.

38 posts on politics, 34 posts on everything else, combined.

I didn’t mean for this blog to go so political, but let’s face it, the Presidential election has been the biggest story out there in the last 2 months.

Since I’ve pretty much exhausted one of my nasty habits, politics, let’s talk about my other most disgusting habit.  Online Gaming.  If you’re reading this site, then you most likely have a passing familiarity with me, personally.  If you didn’t know that I am a weekly columnist at Massively.com, I’ll wait right here while you go check it out.

In the gaming world, there is a story that rivals the Presidential election in terms of importance (to the gaming community, at any rate).  Blizzard, makers of World of Warcraft are releasing their second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, this Thursday.  With just over 11 million players, WoW is, by far, the largtest Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game in the world.

You may have heard stories in the news about grown men who take a day off of work when the latest Madden game hits the shelves?  I know, personally, grown men who are taking a WEEK’S worth of vacation in order to play this game when it comes out.  The games are so popular that Dr. Phil and others of his ilk run shows asking if these games are addictive.

To them, I would respond with one of the following:

• Are weekend golfers who spend 8 hours (or more) out of the house every weekend playing golf, addicted?
• Are couch potatoes, who spend 4-6 hours/day in front of a TV, addicted?
• Are women (or men), who spend 8-10/hours shopping on any given weekend, addicted?

It’s a hobby, folks.  Just like any other.  Like any good hobby, there are those who become compulsive or obsessive about it, and such people will always have something upon which to focus their attention.  While I spend more than a little time playing this game, I manage to have a good job, a good home, a good family, and good friends. In fact, I even manage to make a little extra money writing about my hobby.

This hobby has allowed me to meet people I never would have met otherwise.  Thanks to online gaming, I have been given the chance to meet movie stars, have dinner and drinks with TV stars from my favorite shows, and even sign autographs of my own. (Yes, he knew exactly who I was, and didn’t confuse me for someone else.)

There are those out there, most likely people who were just a little too popular in high school, who say that people like me “have no life”.  In fact, it is one of the most common insults in the gaming world to say that someone “has no life” when they are particularly successful in a game.  I have a wonderful wife, a beautiful baby girl, a job paying enough that I have to pay attention to the upper tax brackets, a chance to meet and mingle with celebrities from time to time, and get paid to write about my hobby.  Oh, and every piece of computer equipment and every copy of a game that I buy is now a tax deduction.

I wouldn’t trade my life for yours if you tossed a supermodel into the bargain. (Unless you’re Manny Ramirez, in which case we’ll talk, just as soon as I learn to hit a curveball.)

Tired of politics yet?

Too bad.

The good news, for you, is that in two days will will get a break from the incessant political ads which are about as truthful as a 16-year old who promises to pull out in time.  The bad news is that the sniping will continue until the next election cycle begins in two years.

I’ve received plenty of responses to my last little diatribe, and rather than respond to each of them one by one, I’d like to offer a blanket response.  First, I’d like to respond to one post in particular.  How can you shoot down the concept of government subsidized health care while simultaneously advocating an arrangement shared among extended family (I believe you called it “clan”)?  You’re making the same arrangement from a smaller base.  Instead of looking at all of the United States as “your clan”,you break it down into smaller social units of people that you happen to be related to by blood.  There’s a difference?  You have no problem “chipping in” to help others, as long as they’re family.

There are two fundamental arguments at work here.  Obligation is not something that can be forced upon someone else indefinitely.  At some point an individual must accept responsibility or he will either be negligent of, or actively resistant to, that obligation.  On the other hand, living in a society is a social contract.  In accepting society’s benefits and protections (police, roads, armed forces, etc.) you implicitly agree to obey that society’s laws.  The law is not an “ala carte” menu.  You don’t get to pick and choose which laws you obey and which do not apply to you.  Law applies to all equally. (at least, in theory)

The question that must be answered is “Can government perform this societal function better than the individual, and would the benefit of such activity be beneficial to all?”  In a comment from Data Vortex, he includes a link to a story about a Congressman who votes to give money from the treasury to a family who is burned out by fire.  Indeed, in the story cited, it would be inappropriate for Congress to vote to give money to an individual or single family.  The story fails to pass the test of the above question.  It does not benefit everyone equally.

However, what if Congress had voted to create a trust fund that could get all families who are burned out by fire back on their feet?  What if such a fund were available to any families who needed it?  Such a concept would pass the test of “beneficial to all”, and if such a plan were possible, the government could employ the economy of scale required to make it happen.  It does not answer the practical details of such a plan, and I believe that is our greatest weakness as a government.  Too often, we pass bad ideas as law in the interest of “doing something”.  “Something”, in this case, has to be the RIGHT thing.

I would not support “Universal Health Care” if the plan is “a blank check for every medical procedure”.  Such a plan would invite waste and fraud.  I do not believe that means that there is no solution that would provide benefit to all, but I believe it is a problem that should be addressed, and soon.  I believe that promoting competition in the medical and insurance marketplaces is beneficial.  I believe that transparency in the insurance industry is a good idea.  I believe that if an individual can do better on their own that they should be encouraged to do so.

But I also believe that “Tough Shit” is not a good enough answer to those who can’t.  At some point, it is in our interests to look out for our fellow Americans.  Not on every issue, and not all the time, but at some point it makes things better for us as individuals if we make sure our neighbors are in good shape.  There is a continuum between “every man for himself” capitalism and “nanny state” socialism.  The question is where we lie on that continuum.

Ironic considering my “day job” blog, isn’t it?

Obviously, with such an attention grabbing headline, a little clarification is in order.  Those of you who are addicted to Minesweeper or Addictinggames.com, you can leave the room.  You play games, but you are not a gamer.  Those of you who play World of Warcraft but don’t read or post in forums, or spend your out-of-game time reading blogs and information sites, you can leave the room.  You might be a gamer, but you have perspective, and this rant isn’t about you.

I’m talking to YOU, fan boy.

I was once one of you.  I played MMOs up to 18 hours/day on weekends and 5-6 hours/night during the week.  Sure, I had a job, but it was the kind of job where I could follow forums and informational websites while I worked.   Fast forward a few years, and while I write a gaming column, run 2 gaming websites, direct a gaming track for Dragon*Con, and still find time to remain subscribed to 4 different MMOs, I have a job, a wife, and a kid who all rank higher on my list of “important things in life.”  In short, I have perspective.

You see?  I love gaming.  It is a hobby that I am passionate about.  I enjoy any new game that comes out if only for a brief time because it is a much more interactive form of entertainment than a tv show or a book.  I appreciate the time and effort it takes to create a game.  The only real annoyance I have with games are the hardcore gamers who spend all their time whining and bitching about how this game isn’t good enough or that game sucks, or why cant developers just listen to them and change their games to the player’s satisfaction.

If you don’t like it, don’t play.  If you don’t like a TV show, change the channel.  If you don’t like a book, put it down.  Your personal preferences are not sufficient reason to vent spleen in a public forum.  Nobody cares, least of all me.  I realize the inherent hypocrisy of this statement.  Here I am, bitching in a “public” place about my personal distastes.  The difference is, this is “my house”, so to speak.  I’m not going to the World of Warcraft forums to vent.  I’m not stepping into someone else’s home and shitting on the floor.

When in a public forum, try to contribute something to the larger discussion.  If you have a problem with a game, provide some details and ask for an explanation.

“I’ve noticed that mages in World of Warcraft don’t seem to be able to keep up with other classes in terms of damage.  Why is that?”

Provoke discussion, gather information, maybe you’ll learn something that improves your experience and can serve as a guide to someone else who might have the same issue.  That is what public forums are for.  Unfortunately, what you find more often is along the lines of:

“ZOMG! This game is teh sux!11eleventyONE!”

Thanks for your contribution to the world’s store of information, you fucking chuzzlewit.  The only thing more obnoxious than gamers who don’t know any better, are gamers who realize exactly what they’re doing.  Call them trolls, call them flame-bait, call them “attention starved babies whose mommies didn’t love them enough”.  If you are new to the Internet and need a guide to etiquette, I’ll make it simple for you.  If you wouldn’t say it to someone while standing in the same room with them, don’t say it online.  The Internet is about information.  If you honestly think that you are completely anonymous, guess again.

It has been my experience that gamers, even the most obnoxiously hard core types, are much more polite in person.  When I run the MMORPG events at Dragon*Con every year, the people are friendly and engaging.  Even the ones who complain are persuasive in their arguments and are just looking for answers.  If I had a choice between running a convention every month or running an online forum, there’s no contest.  Everyone has a story, and it is a genuine pleasure to meet folks who have the same interests and passions that I do.

So why then do forums not give people the same experience?  Everyone is there for the same reason.  Everyone has at least one thing in common.  It is because forum administrators, in the name of “giving everyone a voice” do not hold forum posters accountable for their words.  On my own forums, I am notorious for being quick with the “ban hammer”.  If a new poster comes around and starts flaming or trolling, I let the regulars have a little fun with him, then ban the new guy without a second thought.  Fair? No.  Free speech? Nope.  If you want to complain and be a pest, go do it somewhere else.

That said, I believe that everyone DOES have the right to make their opinions heard.  You have the right to say the most shocking and offensive things that pop into that little pea-sized brain of yours.  You just don’t have the right to say it on my server or by using my bandwidth.  Philosophically, it is a position that I wish more gaming websites would adopt.  Lock out the ‘tards.  Silence the morons.  Improve the signal-to-noise ratio of your forums and blogs until they again become useful repositories of information and commentary.

I honestly believe that communication in the Internet age has become unpersonal and almost psychopathic in it’s disregard for the sensibilities of the person on the other end.  As I said before, if you wouldn’t say it while standing in front of someone, don’t say it to them on the Internet.

These are just things that popped up in my head over the weekend.  I may expand on some of these topics later, but right now I’m dealing with a fussy 6 week old girl and I’m heading to the office shortly.

• Since when do Liberals have a monopoly on “Big Government”?  The last Liberal President ran a budget surplus.  The current Conservative President is running record deficits.  Liberals might be guilty of “tax and spend” on occasion, but that is preferable to “tax cut and spend”.  When the time comes, and we have to pay off this debt, it’s going to be ugly.

• Candidates who deliberately misstate issues in order to score easy points with voters are one of the biggest problems we have in Government.  Jim Martin, the Democratic candidate for US Senate here in Georgia, is calling the Fair Tax “a 23% national sales tax” without mentioning that it completely eliminates Income Tax, Estate Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and half a dozen other taxes.  I voted Democrat in more than a few races this year, but this one ad was enough for me to vote for Saxby Chambliss, who sponsored the Fair Tax in the Senate.

• Thanks to Barack Obama, I am now forced to root for the Phillies to win the World Series in 5 games.  He’s gonna get killed in the polls if he winds up pushing back the start of game 6 just so he can blanket the airwaves with a 30 minute speech.  Does he really think that voters in Pennsylvania and Florida (two states that are very much “in play” this year) are going to want to hear him talk instead of watching their teams in the Fall Classic?  I don’t care how important the election is to you, you have to understand the audience, and the audience just wants to watch the damn game.  Would it really have killed Obama to schedule his speech half an hour earlier or, even better, on the day before? (travel day for both teams)

• Thank you, Penn State, for making sure that Ohio State will not be in the BCS Championship Game for the third year running.  If only you could do something about USC.

• Please, mighty gods of college football, do something about Alabama and Georgia.  Maybe let Auburn bring back a half dozen NFL alumni for a game or two?

• Wrath of the Lich King drops on November 13.  Don’t expect me to be social, coherent, or even willing to leave the house that weekend.  I’ll still be writing, but it will be for that other blog. (You know… the one I get paid to write?)