It's Super Bowl weekend, so you know what that means?
That's right! It's time for a MANTAGE!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Meh
Last night a wind storm knocked out my cable so I had no 'net or tv. And over night our water main froze and broke so I'm under a Boil Water Advisory "until further notice". So I don't really feel like posting right now. Maybe this weekend.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
*sigh*
I saw this article on FARK.com. The headline is "XBox is crack for kids". I stopped reading it seriously when I got to the part where the author stated that having a television means that you are "common". I really don't like classists. So I skimmed the rest of it. She thinks video games are bad because......they're bad, apparently.
*shrugs*
I'm reminded of this Penny Arcade comic.
Additionally, a person going by the name of "BadVermin" posted the following in the comments section at Fark and I think it puts things in perspective quite nicely.
"Unfortunately there have always been busybodies who think the youth of world are spinning out of control because of "lurid" entertainment.
Novels
"The free access which many young people have to romances, novels, and plays has poisoned the mind and corrupted the morals of many a promising youth; and prevented others from improving their minds in useful knowledge. Parents take care to feed their children with wholesome diet; and yet how unconcerned about the provision for the mind, whether they are furnished with salutary food, or with trash, chaff, or poison?"
- Reverend Enos Hitchcock, Memoirs of the Bloomsgrove Family, 1790
The Waltz
"The indecent foreign dance called the Waltz was introduced ... at the English Court on Friday last ... It is quite sufficient to cast one's eyes on the voluptuous intertwining of the limbs, and close compressure of the bodies ... to see that it is far indeed removed from the modest reserve which has hitherto been considered distinctive of English females. So long as this obscene display was confined to prostitutes and adulteresses, we did not think it deserving of notice; but now that it is ... forced on the respectable classes of society by the evil example of their superiors, we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion."
- The Times of London, 1816
Movies
"This new form of entertainment has gone far to blast maidenhood ... Depraved adults with candies and pennies beguile children with the inevitable result. The Society has prosecuted many for leading girls astray through these picture shows, but GOD alone knows how many are leading dissolute lives begun at the 'moving pictures.'"
- The Annual Report of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1909
The Telephone
"Does the telephone make men more active or more lazy? Does [it] break up home life and the old practice of visiting friends?"
- Survey conducted by the Knights of Columbus Adult Education Committee, San Francisco Bay Area, 1926
Comic Books
"Many adults think that the crimes described in comic books are so far removed from the child's life that for children they are merely something imaginative or fantastic. But we have found this to be a great error. Comic books and life are connected. A bank robbery is easily translated into the rifling of a candy store. Delinquencies formerly restricted to adults are increasingly committed by young people and children ... All child drug addicts, and all children drawn into the narcotics traffic as messengers, with whom we have had contact, were inveterate comic-book readers This kind of thing is not good mental nourishment for children!"
- Fredric Wertham, Seduction of the Innocent, 1954
Rock and Roll
"The effect of rock and roll on young people, is to turn them into devil worshippers; to stimulate self-expression through sex; to provoke lawlessness; impair nervous stability and destroy the sanctity of marriage. It is an evil influence on the youth of our country."
- Minister Albert Carter, 1956"
*shrugs*
I'm reminded of this Penny Arcade comic.
Additionally, a person going by the name of "BadVermin" posted the following in the comments section at Fark and I think it puts things in perspective quite nicely.
"Unfortunately there have always been busybodies who think the youth of world are spinning out of control because of "lurid" entertainment.
Novels
"The free access which many young people have to romances, novels, and plays has poisoned the mind and corrupted the morals of many a promising youth; and prevented others from improving their minds in useful knowledge. Parents take care to feed their children with wholesome diet; and yet how unconcerned about the provision for the mind, whether they are furnished with salutary food, or with trash, chaff, or poison?"
- Reverend Enos Hitchcock, Memoirs of the Bloomsgrove Family, 1790
The Waltz
"The indecent foreign dance called the Waltz was introduced ... at the English Court on Friday last ... It is quite sufficient to cast one's eyes on the voluptuous intertwining of the limbs, and close compressure of the bodies ... to see that it is far indeed removed from the modest reserve which has hitherto been considered distinctive of English females. So long as this obscene display was confined to prostitutes and adulteresses, we did not think it deserving of notice; but now that it is ... forced on the respectable classes of society by the evil example of their superiors, we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion."
- The Times of London, 1816
Movies
"This new form of entertainment has gone far to blast maidenhood ... Depraved adults with candies and pennies beguile children with the inevitable result. The Society has prosecuted many for leading girls astray through these picture shows, but GOD alone knows how many are leading dissolute lives begun at the 'moving pictures.'"
- The Annual Report of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1909
The Telephone
"Does the telephone make men more active or more lazy? Does [it] break up home life and the old practice of visiting friends?"
- Survey conducted by the Knights of Columbus Adult Education Committee, San Francisco Bay Area, 1926
Comic Books
"Many adults think that the crimes described in comic books are so far removed from the child's life that for children they are merely something imaginative or fantastic. But we have found this to be a great error. Comic books and life are connected. A bank robbery is easily translated into the rifling of a candy store. Delinquencies formerly restricted to adults are increasingly committed by young people and children ... All child drug addicts, and all children drawn into the narcotics traffic as messengers, with whom we have had contact, were inveterate comic-book readers This kind of thing is not good mental nourishment for children!"
- Fredric Wertham, Seduction of the Innocent, 1954
Rock and Roll
"The effect of rock and roll on young people, is to turn them into devil worshippers; to stimulate self-expression through sex; to provoke lawlessness; impair nervous stability and destroy the sanctity of marriage. It is an evil influence on the youth of our country."
- Minister Albert Carter, 1956"
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
That Married Twins Story
You've probably heard the story by now, but if you haven't here it is. There's a story going around that two people in Britain were adopted and met and found out they had a lot in common. They eventually fell in love and got married. Then they later discovered that they were twins adopted by different families and now are getting they're marriage annulled.
This story has been flying around because it's very sensational. I, however, have been calling BS on it since day one. Unsurprisingly, none of the reporters passing on this story have done any actual research. Now, it's coming out that a British Parliament member, Lord Alton, told this story while trying to get legislation passed that would allow any adopted persons to find out who their biological parents are.
The Guardian is finally doing some basic research and thinking that maybe, just maybe, the story is fabricated to help get the legislation passed.
I know, I know, it's hard to believe that a *politician* would ever *lie* just to get a pet piece of legislation passed, but it just might be true here.
This story has been flying around because it's very sensational. I, however, have been calling BS on it since day one. Unsurprisingly, none of the reporters passing on this story have done any actual research. Now, it's coming out that a British Parliament member, Lord Alton, told this story while trying to get legislation passed that would allow any adopted persons to find out who their biological parents are.
The Guardian is finally doing some basic research and thinking that maybe, just maybe, the story is fabricated to help get the legislation passed.
I know, I know, it's hard to believe that a *politician* would ever *lie* just to get a pet piece of legislation passed, but it just might be true here.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Another Star Wars Post
In Soul Caliber IV, Darth Vader and Yoda will be playable characters. (Relevant point is at the 57 second mark)
HELL. F**KING. YES!
SC4 will be released on PS3 and XBox 360. Namco decided to give each console its own exclusive character, so this means that Darth Vader will be available for PS3 owners and Yoda will be available for 360 owners. Darth Vader is my favorite Star Wars character, but I own a 360 and do not plan to buy a PS3 so I'm screwed in that department for now, but Yoda is my second favorite character so I'm still excited.
Also, while it'll likely never happen, it's *possible* that Vader may later be offered as Downloadable Content via Live, in which case I will be all over that.
HELL. F**KING. YES!
SC4 will be released on PS3 and XBox 360. Namco decided to give each console its own exclusive character, so this means that Darth Vader will be available for PS3 owners and Yoda will be available for 360 owners. Darth Vader is my favorite Star Wars character, but I own a 360 and do not plan to buy a PS3 so I'm screwed in that department for now, but Yoda is my second favorite character so I'm still excited.
Also, while it'll likely never happen, it's *possible* that Vader may later be offered as Downloadable Content via Live, in which case I will be all over that.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
A Star Wars post
My New Year's resolution is to post more often. Specifically, I'm going to try to post something at least once a week. I'm counting my New Year post as day 1 so Jan. 8 is 7 days later, so I have to post today or break my resolution. So today you get a Star Wars-related post.
Actually, what originally got me into this line of thought was a post from Eric Burns on Websnark about comics. If you haven't heard, Marvel has decided that in an upcoming issue, Spider-Man makes a deal with the devil to save Aunt May's life. The deal is that his marriage to Mary Jane will have never happened. This news led to a post on Websnark about ret-conning and the troubles it usually causes. In particular, the post states that it angers the long-time readers, because they've invested emotionally in the characters, watching their stories grow and change over time, and suddenly all of that has gone out the window.
After reading the post, I got to thinking about the Star Wars movies. And I realized that the Special Edition of Episodes IV-VI weren't extended re-releases. They were retcons. Hence, you get stuff like Han shooting first and Hayden Christensen suddenly appearing as Ghost Anakin at the end of Return of the Jedi. These are relatively minor, really. Maybe what Eric would call a Category 1 or 2.
Then came the prequels. And these hit Category 3 and higher levels of ret-conning. Suddenly, we're being told that when Vader was still Anakin, he built C-3PO and R2-D2. We're told that the Force, something that Yoda and Obi-Wan told Luke was a mystical energy created by life, is actually the result of having too many microorganisms in your blood. And we're told that Padme, Luke and Leia's mom, never actually "met" the kids, even though when Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother she says she has vague memories of her (granted she doesn't say it was definitely her birth mom, but it's clearly the intent of that scene).
So basically, for us Star Wars fans, the prequels took most of what we knew about the Star Wars universe and told us that we were wrong and turned it all on its head. Even more so for those of us who got into the Extended Universe made up of the novels, games, and comics that continued the story past Return of the Jedi.
George Lucas ret-conned Star Wars.
Actually, what originally got me into this line of thought was a post from Eric Burns on Websnark about comics. If you haven't heard, Marvel has decided that in an upcoming issue, Spider-Man makes a deal with the devil to save Aunt May's life. The deal is that his marriage to Mary Jane will have never happened. This news led to a post on Websnark about ret-conning and the troubles it usually causes. In particular, the post states that it angers the long-time readers, because they've invested emotionally in the characters, watching their stories grow and change over time, and suddenly all of that has gone out the window.
After reading the post, I got to thinking about the Star Wars movies. And I realized that the Special Edition of Episodes IV-VI weren't extended re-releases. They were retcons. Hence, you get stuff like Han shooting first and Hayden Christensen suddenly appearing as Ghost Anakin at the end of Return of the Jedi. These are relatively minor, really. Maybe what Eric would call a Category 1 or 2.
Then came the prequels. And these hit Category 3 and higher levels of ret-conning. Suddenly, we're being told that when Vader was still Anakin, he built C-3PO and R2-D2. We're told that the Force, something that Yoda and Obi-Wan told Luke was a mystical energy created by life, is actually the result of having too many microorganisms in your blood. And we're told that Padme, Luke and Leia's mom, never actually "met" the kids, even though when Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother she says she has vague memories of her (granted she doesn't say it was definitely her birth mom, but it's clearly the intent of that scene).
So basically, for us Star Wars fans, the prequels took most of what we knew about the Star Wars universe and told us that we were wrong and turned it all on its head. Even more so for those of us who got into the Extended Universe made up of the novels, games, and comics that continued the story past Return of the Jedi.
George Lucas ret-conned Star Wars.
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