The War on Drugs is a FAILURE

NOTE: This is a bit of a follow up of sorts, to THIS blog post from June. They are related, so it might be in your best interest to read that as well, if you wish.

So, I thought I'd talk about a war that really pisses me off, and also really saddens me, both because of how pointless and ineffective it is. The war to which I am referring is the so called “War on Drugs” that America has waged against its own populace. Of course, other countries have joined in on this thing, but America is the driving idiotic force. Now, I hate all wars, ideologically, but I do (regretfully) concur that, to some degree, and in some instances, war is, I suppose, justified (man I hate saying that!).

Shitty Fucking Christmas (Eve) and My Asshole Parents

Shitty Xmas and my Asshole Parents

Note: And yes, I celebrate Christmas despite being a devout, militant, evangelical, proselytizing, fundamentalist, extremist, presuppositional atheist and anti-theist, as well as of course being a devout, militant, fundamentalist, Dawkinist, Darwinian evolutionist who believes in eugenics and a perfect race.

I'm sentimental like that.

(And yes, that description of myself was tongue in cheek. The fact that you had to ask that makes me think you were lobotomized at some point in your life).

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope yours is off to a better start than is mine :(

I'll fill you in tomorrow.

EDIT: HERE is the Update About my Awful Experience on Xmas Eve that took me from this:

 

              

           to this:

Answering Creationist Questions

Answering Some Creationist Questions

These questions were derived from:

http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/sciences/scienc8.htm

and

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/ee/origin-of-humans

Fuck Christmas

A Super-serious blog by PseudoIntellectual 
CHRISTMAS SUCKS!

Face it, no matter how you look at it, Christmas sucks balls. Whether you're a devout Christian hoping to celebrate the birth of your lord(hahaha sucker), or just a greedy commercialized whore waiting to be showered in presents....it fucking sucks.

There are several reasons for this. Ranging from over commercialization to the decline of morals (not that I really give a fuck anyway). Anyway, a year has passed since I last did something like this, and I don't think I've become all that more bitter. Actually, I think I maybe have become more apathetic(actually that's a for sure) and a bit more nihilistic.

Anyway, you sheep love lists and sequels that are just the same shit from last time*cough*CoD*Cough*, so here's the same one from last year with some "tweaks."

The List:

Another Story Opener

Remember this:? http://magx01.blogspot.com/2010/12/short-story-starter.html

Well, I have a second short story starter for anyone who may be looking for ideas to springboard into a story. This is the beginning to a story I wrote recently, and it was brought on by a single line: "If it was my world...." I give to you not just that line, but the beginning of the tale, in the hopes that I can help someone get out of a slump/writer's block. Good luck to anyone that uses this, and if you do, post the results in the comment section if you wish!

The intro:

Refuting Pascal's Wager

Before we get to the refutation, here is Pascal's Wager, for those who are unaware of it:

1."God is, or He is not"
2.A game is being played... where heads or tails will turn up.
3.According to reason, you can defend neither of the propositions.
4.You must wager. It is not optional.
5.Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that god is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing.
6.Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. (...) There is here an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain, a chance of gain against a finite number of chances of loss, and what you stake is finite. And so our proposition is of infinite force, when there is the finite to stake in a game where there are equal risks of gain and of loss, and the infinite to gain.

Woman Whipped In Public For Wearing Trousers. Get Ready to Get PISSED OFF

Acrobats strip for Pope Benedict XVI, perform topless in Vatican:

Place this one in the WHAT THE FUCK category:

Acrobats strip for Pope Benedict XVI, perform topless in Vatican.

The (Short) video:

Possible Evidence of Other Universes Found

Well here's some incredibly unexpected and surprising news:

SEGA Extends PlatinumGames Partnership

SEGA Extends PlatinumGames Partnership:

SEGA has announced that they have extended their initial 4 game contract to include one more game, the details of which are being kept secret, for now. Also being kep hush is whether or not the deal will be extended beyond this one game, or if it already has.


http://www.gamespot.com/news/6285378.html

The Beat Em Up

If there's one genre of games I miss most, it's the 2D side scrolling beat em up.


Remember these?

Everyone who grew up in the 80's played these throughout the 80's and 90's.

Short Story Starter

This is the beginning of a new story I am currently in the process of writing. I have no idea where I am going to end up, nor how I am going to get there, and I am currently sans title, but the idea of this story has me very intrigued, and I am reminded of one of the things about writing that amazes me: it's entirely possible for the author of a tale to have no idea where a story is going, nor have any knowledge of where it will end up. You can often be as in the dark about the details as your eventual readers will be. I find that fascinating. Anyways, here's the opening of the tale, and if a potential, even placeholder title pops out at you, let me know.      

     I kick the stool out from under me and drop. The slack rope tightens violently, the noose viciously choking off my vital air supply. My neck does not snap as I thought it would- I guess that's only in the movies. I am choking to death. I frantically grasp at the noose, trying desperately to free myself, to alleviate the horrible pressure and quiet the alarm bells ringing in my brain, as my bodies' survival mechanisms kick into high gear and try to erase the actions taken since I made the decision to do this to myself. My efforts are futile. There is absolutely no way out of this. I'm seeing shades of red, of purple, and of grey, as I choke. My body is swinging to and fro, as I continue the futile attempt at rescue. As the seconds turn into minutes, these efforts slow. Things begin to darken, and, just before everything goes dark, my mind's eye settles on the image of the thing that led me to decide to do this to myself this morning: the North American Robin sitting on my window sill.

IGN UK Weekend Initiative Top Ten Games of 2010....HUGE SURPRISE for Number 1 Pick!!!!!!! aka SUCK IT SykoShadow!!!!!

Well, isn't THIS surprising! After all of my bitching in the last post (the one regarding the Spike VGA's) about how Bayonetta got completely (and unfairly) overlooked for the GOTY award, IGN UK posts a video detailing their picks for the top ten games of 2010. The video constitutes an episode of a weekly video segment (hitherto unheard of by yours truly) called IGN Weekend Initiative.


Here's the link:

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2010/12/10/best-games-of-2010-the-weekend-initiative

So, in this weeks episode, they detail their GOTY picks. The number one game?

Spike TV Video Game Awards (VGA'S) and Categories are mostly BULLSHIT

I'm posting this as a response of sorts, but more to the point, as a post inspired by, SykoShadow's POST from 2 days ago regarding this year's Video Game Awards (VGA's) hosted as usual, by Spike TV. I responded to him via a lengthy comment, but that proved to be insufficient to quell my incensed mind, so here we go (much of that comment ill be migrated here, so if yo have already seen the comment, some of this will be familiar). My choices will be in bold.

Please note that I will be inserting my own nominations where I see fit (likely more often than I choose from their shitty nominees. If you don't like that, you can suck my left nipple while kneading the right one. Or, if that's not going to work for you (and likely won't for me, either) you can either leave me an angry comment, or just point your browser to something more soothing.

Also, most of this will be biased ranting, and cannot be honestly applied as valid criticisms (although some can). HOWEVER, stick it out to the end (or just skip to it) and you'll see that I have some legitimate points of contention with the VGA's.

Beat Hazard Review (Xbox 360 Indie Games)

Beat Hazard is a dual stick shooter found on the indy games section on Xbox Live which, upon first glance, will draw immediate comparisons to Geometry Wars, and for good reason; the games are similar in many ways (both of which being essentially modern versions of Asteroids). Similarly to the aforementioned Geometry Wars, this game utilizes very flashy visuals chock full of special effects, which can only be described as ''psychedelic.'' It really adds to the intensity and excitement while playing, although, it can lead to some frustration, especially during the acclimation process, but I will get to this later. Suffice it to say this is a dual stick space shooter that plays very similarly to Geometry Wars.

Geometry Wars, to which this game could be considered a spiritual successor (although it's not)

But it could be!

HUGE GAMING RANT! RIGHTEOUS ANGER AHEAD!

NOTE: This blog is a long and expletive filled rant. It is a sequel to my last rant, Rant on PR Speak (Sparked by comments by EA CEO RE: "Online Pass"). Turn back now if you cannot handle a lot of cursing and righteous anger!

Also note that it's an older one that has been sitting in draft form for a few months now.

Still here? Great, let us begin.

My Views (more like ramblings) on Abortion

Here are my thoughts on abortion. As you will see, my position is not solidifed (the general slant of it is, the details are not) and the issue is, for me, a difficult one, but not for the usual reasons. The difficulty for me lies in the fact that formulating an opinion which is not borne (pun intended?) of assertions based on arbitrary delineations is rather difficult.

~

Corny Pun Pwnage

On the lighter side.....

Austin Powers would be proud....

What? I don't know, don't ask.

Vatican Priest: Sex With a Condom is like a Mugger Wrapping the Pipe he uses to Beat People in Foam

So, Pope Ratface recently made a comment on condom use that has gotten the world a talkin'. Here is said comment:

There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility...

Happy Thanksgiving, America, You Fat Fucks!

Happy Thanksgiving, America, You Fat Fucks!

My daughter asked me* what Thanksgiving was all about. I considered a lie, but then remembered that as an atheist, I don't have any made up tales that I am culturally pressured into telling her, so I get to be honest. So, I told her the truth, that Thanksgiving is a day for a bunch of overfed, overprivileged people to celebrate how fat and overpriveleged they are by eating too much food.

I left out the 'stealing land from the indians' thing. I need something to tell her next year, don't I?

*The conversation detailed in this blog post may not have actually happened.

The Gift- A Short Novel (First Draft) (Longest Blog Post In the World?)

This is the first short novel (novella) I wrote for the 3 Day Novel Contest three years ago. It was my first time entering, and I was successful in that I was able to actually complete a manuscript and submit it in by the deadline. Three days of nonstop writing produced the following book. 92 pages, 26k words. It's a sad story, and it's rough around the edges, of course. Enjoy what may be the longest blog post in the world, the first (and most likely last) draft of the very first short novel (novella) I ever wrote, written in three days for a contest, and dealing with subject matter that is very personal to me, The Gift. 

(By the way, Hunter's Bluff was the novel I did the next year. I'm really proud of that one, as you can tell if you follow the link.) 

The Gift

The Insanity of Swearing

The Insanity of Swearing

I would like to discuss swearing/cursing/the use of expletives, so listen up, you friggin pieces of crap.

...Did I just swear at you?

Well, did I?

Sister Wives: What's the Big Fucking Deal? I Issue a Challenge to those against polygamy:

Sister Wives: What's the Big Fucking Deal?

So there's this show on TLC called Sister Wives, which I was not aware of until about 10 minutes ago. For those who do not know, it is a 'reality' show documenting/fictionalizing (you know how 'reality' shows go....) the lives of 5 adults and 13 children. The 5 adults are a man named Kody, and his four wives, and the thirteen children are, well, their children.

Yes, the show is about polygamists. How this is possible when polygamy is illegal in the U.S., I don't know, but it's happening (happened?) (not sure if it's still on or not). The guy is married to four women and the four marriages have thus far produced 13 children.

Warrant Out for God's Arrest

Warrant Out for God's Arrest

AP, Heaven

A judge issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of one, God, a 6,000 year old (or so) male after he failed to appear in an L.A. courtroom. God had been subpoenaed to appear in court to testify in a domestic abuse case in which his son, Jesus Christ, also 6,000 years old (we're not sure how that happened either) was on trial for striking one of his apparently numerous (sources say 12) lovers.

IGN Gives Pac-Man Championship Edition DX a 10/10!!

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX released today, and it looks amazing. Here are a few screens, and then check out the link to the IGN review, which assigned the game a perfect 10/10. Can't say I saw that one coming. I'll hopefully be enjoying this game later today, and I may be reviewing it here on The Thoughtful Gamers, so look for that possibility in the next day or two.

IGN REVIEW

John Shimkus, the (Possible) Next Chairman of the U.S. Congressional Committee on Energy and Environment Does Not Accept Global Warming. He Accepts the Bible.

Okay, it's rant time. Here's an article from The Star.com detailing the anti global warming stance held by Republican (of couse) U.S. Representative John Shimkus, and his reasons for holding an antiscientific position (article first, then the rant):

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/888472--god-will-save-us-from-climate-change-u-s-representative

U.S. Representative John Shimkus, possible future chairman of the Congressional committee that deals with energy and its attendant environmental concerns, believes that climate change should not concern us since God has already promised not to destroy the Earth.

Lauren Rose's Election Experience, and A Moron's Response(s) to Her.

Lauren Rose's Election Experience, and A Moron's Response(s) to Her.

Link to the Story

Lauren Rose is an atheist who was perturbed to have to go to a church to cast her vote in a federal U.S. Election. She wore a tshirt expressing her displeasure at this concept (voting for a public election in a christian church) as well as identifying herself as an atheist.

Doctors WITH Borders: Doctors Withdraw Treatment from Patients Who Thank God

Doctors WITH Borders: Doctors Withdraw Treatment from Patients Who Thank God

AP, Worldwide.

There is a new movement growing worldwide. Called 'Doctors WITH Borders,' the movement consists of doctors who are sick and tired of having their hard work passed over when it comes time to extend credit, in favour of that entity known as 'God.'

These doctors have decided that any patient who, after receiving medical care, states that god has saved (or is saving) them, is no longer eligible to receive medical treatment. Patients are having IV's pulled, prescriptions withdrawn, casts cut off, dialysis machines shut down, life support unplugged, and, in one recent case, two recently transplanted lungs removed.

Atheist Ministers Struggle With Leading the Faithful

Atheist Ministers Struggle With Leading the Faithful
Two Active Ministers Say They No Longer Believe in God but No One Knows

From abcnews.com.
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/atheist-ministers-leading-faithful/story?id=12004359

Religion and Doubt: How Religions Demonize Intellectual Honesty

DOUBT

Religion and Doubt: How Religions Demonize Intellectual Honesty

Christians, as well as people from other religions, often express doubt. Quite often, in fact. This is something that I find interesting, and I would like to spend a couple of minutes on.

Eternal Torment and a Just God

As you read this blog, please keep in mind that while this does not take into account the idea/doctrine of repentance, it's not relevant here, so please ignore that and focus on the people that DO end up in hell. Including nonbelievers, which, according to the bible, commited the only unforgiveable sin (nonbelief). Also, this is only directed at the subset of christians who believe in eternal hellfire. Those who prettied up their theology need not apply.

So, allow me to ask you a series of questions:

Two New Youtube Videos Up: Death Metal Baby and 2 Questions Re: Heaven

Enjoy....or not :)

My Gaming History Pt. 6

This blog series is going to be a look back through time as I recall my 20+ gaming “career,” if you will. I'll take you through the ups and downs, the trials, tribulations and the triumphs. The sleepless nights, the gorging on pizza, the tournaments, the competition, the fights. The friends made over gaming, and the friends lost ov-no wait, I can honestly say that I have never lost a friend because of gaming. That would be rather pathetic, would it not?

Part Six (Part 1 can be found HERE; Part 2 HERE; Part 3 HERE; Part 4 HERE; Part 5 HERE)

My Gaming History Pt. 5

This blog series is going to be a look back through time as I recall my 20+ gaming “career,” if you will. I'll take you through the ups and downs, the trials, tribulations and the triumphs. The sleepless nights, the gorging on pizza, the tournaments, the competition, the fights. The friends made over gaming, and the friends lost ov-no wait, I can honestly say that I have never lost a friend because of gaming. That would be rather pathetic, would it not?

Part Five (Part 1 can be found HERE; Part 2 HERE; Part 3 HERE; Part 4 HERE)

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween, everybody! I hope you're having a spooktacular Halloween. Amanda and I took Hannah on her first trick or treating excursion. She was dressed as a pumpkin (huge cliche, I know, but cute), and she seemed to love it! Here she is all decked out in her costume:

Robert The (Devil) Doll: A Case of Tourism Motivated Fabrication and Superstitious Irrationality

Robert The (Devil) Doll: A Case of Tourism Motivated Fabrication and Superstitious Irrationality

Robert the doll is a supposedly haunted/possessed doll that resides in Key West, Florida. If you want to read the whole spooky tale, you can do so HERE.

So, legend has it that this cursed doll is malevolent, and can speak, move around, and bring harm to people. Many people believe this, and the stories that have propagated about this doll over the years are of course varied and delightfully spooky.....and of course, untrue.

Here's some information from someone who has some experience with Robert the Devil Doll (written in her words, so any grammatical or spelling errors are hers, not mine, as is any credit given for discoveries or insights....I'm just reposting it):

God Goes to Marriage Counseling

God Goes to Marriage Counseling

“He's also a control freak.” Sarah looked over at God and sighed. She glanced over at Dr. Darby, and caught his eye. His eyes indicated his agreement, although he remained stoic, preserving his outward display of an apparent lack of bias, in accordance with the edicts of professionalism that were vital to the success of the field of psychology in which he was involved.

Inwardly appreciative but also outwardly stoic, save for the nail biting, which she resumed, Sarah continued. “He micromanages everything. Everything that you could imagine, including even thoughts, he needs to dictate what's acceptable and what's not. That goes for everyone down here, and also for all of us up in heaven, including myself.”

Dr. Darby looked over at God and gestured in his direction. “Is that true?” He cleared his throat, then continued. “Do you feel the need to control everything that goes on in your universe?”

Footsteps on the Stairs- A (Very) Short Story

I wrote this just now on a whim, and it represents a departure for me in that it mostly takes place in the reader's imagination, as opposed to taking place on the page as all of my other writing has. Not sure if this will work or not but it's worth a shot.   

     Ariana lay trembling, listening to the footsteps on the stairs marking her Aunt's slow ascent to her third story bedroom. Or, perhaps more precisely, her third story prison. It was just around sunset on a spring day. The date was April 15th, 1978. Ariana had last been outside of that particular room on September 24th, 1975.

My Gaming History Pt. 4

This blog series is going to be a look back through time as I recall my 20+ gaming “career,” if you will. I'll take you through the ups and downs, the trials, tribulations and the triumphs. The sleepless nights, the gorging on pizza, the tournaments, the competition, the fights. The friends made over gaming, and the friends lost ov-no wait, I can honestly say that I have never lost a friend because of gaming. That would be rather pathetic, would it not?

Part Four (Part One can be found HERE; Part Two can be found HERE; Part Three HERE)

A Question on Morality and Film

I'd like to throw this up for people to have the opportunity to take a second look, as I really wanted to get a discussion going on this one and it never materialized.

Here's the link:

http://magx01.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-does-our-proclivity-to-root-for.html

Later.

So, You Have a Relationship with the Creator of The Universe?

How fortuitous! There's this omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent, eternal being which has the power to create entire universes and all of the life within them, and this being has decided to bestow upon you, one lowly human out of around 7 billion lowly humans, the very distinctive honor of having an ongoing relationship with him/her/it.

So, having made the decision, for seemingly no reason at all, to grant you this honour, this being enters your heart, hunkers down in one of your aortic valves, and remains there until the day you die, guiding you, helping you, being your spiritual guide, your confidante, your friend. And then, upon your death, this being grants you the even bigger honour of living with him/her/it for eternity in his/her/its eternal amusement park.

My Gaming History Pt. 3

This blog series is going to be a look back through time as I recall my 20+ gaming “career,” if you will. I'll take you through the ups and downs, the trials, tribulations and the triumphs. The sleepless nights, the gorging on pizza, the tournaments, the competition, the fights. The friends made over gaming, and the friends lost ov-no wait, I can honestly say that I have never lost a friend because of gaming. That would be rather pathetic, would it not?

Part Three (Part One can be found HERE; Part Two can be found HERE)

So, thus far we have thumb steroids, cumming, erratic ducks, and many, many hours spent playing in 8 bit glory. Time, however, has a way of marching on, and, as it did so, my brother and I found ourselves moving into the future: the 16 bit future (albeit a bit late). (Note: magx01 still thinks the 8 bit generation was better in a lot of ways.)

My Gaming History Pt. 2

This blog series is going to be a look back through time as I recall my 20+ gaming “career,” if you will. I'll take you through the ups and downs, the trials, tribulations and the triumphs. The sleepless nights, the gorging on pizza, the tournaments, the competition, the fights. The friends made over gaming, and the friends lost ov-no wait, I can honestly say that I have never lost a friend because of gaming. That would be rather pathetic, would it not?

Part Two (Part One can be found HERE)

And so, morning, as mornings inevitably do, came.

And so did I.

My Gaming History Pt. 1

Welcome to part one of a new several part long blog series on The Thoughtful Gamers. This blog series is going to be a look back through time as I, magx01, recall my 20+ year long gaming “career,” if you will. I'll take you through the ups and downs, the trials, tribulations and the triumphs. The sleepless nights, the gorging on pizza, the tournaments, the competition, the fights. The friends made over gaming, and the friends lost ov-no wait, I can honestly say that I have never lost a friend because of gaming. That would be rather pathetic, would it not?

Hey, Game Developers! Listen Up! Features that Need to be Included in ALL Games!

Hey game devs! There are two features that should have been included in every single game released in the last, well....ever, but I will forgive you your trespasses, AS LONG AS YOU START INCLUDING THESE GOING FORWARD:

• Temporary Quick Saves
• Fully Customizable Controls

Hey Anti-Vaccers'! Good Job Killing Babies!!

Here's a quote from an article I am reading regarding an epidemic of whooping cough in California, largely fueled by the incidence of adults refusing vaccines for both themselves and their children. Remember, the kids not being vaccinated is not the only hazard. The people around them not being vaccinated leads them to contracting diseases as well. If the people around you are all vaccinated, you won't be contracting anything. If, however, they listen to Jenny McDumbass and don't get vaccinated, they become potential carriers, and the most susceptible, infants (as well as immunocomprimised adults, such as myself, and the elderly) become potential recipients of this deadly gift borne of ignorance.

GET VACCINATED AND GET YOUR KIDS VACCINATED!

Anyways, here is the quote:

Pertussis once was widespread in California, reaching a peak of 21,344 cases in 1941. But a full-scale vaccination program reduced the incidence dramatically. Reported cases hit a low of 75 in 1976, but the disease has been creeping up since then. During the last outbreak year of 2005, there were 3,182 cases. So far this year there have been 1,496 cases.

From 21,344 to 75. SEVENTY FIVE!

And now?

Back to the thousands, and climbing. This isn't isolated, either. There have been many diseases making a comeback as of late, as herd immunity in various communities is being lost due to people opting out of vaccinations. Your 'personal choice' is KILLING PEOPLE.

What the hell can we do to combat the spread of all this ignorant misinformation that's permeating the culture as of late? Anti-Evolution, anti-vaccination, anti-global warming, 9/11, banking, nwo, moon, cancer cure etc conspiracies, etc. It's getting out of control thanks to the internet, the lapses in education, and movies like Zeitgesist. And it goes beyond mere idealogical differences. It threatens our actual futures. Yes, no hyperbole. It threatens our very future.

So, really, anyone....what the FUCK can we do? I have but a couple of ideas, and none of them alone are enough to combat this, but here they are, as they are at least a hypothetical start:

• Teach critical thinking in schools, stating in elementary/grade school. Teach kids HOW to think in addition to WHAT to think.
• Science needs like...PR people or something. Seriously, there needs to be someone between the science and the people who can clear things up for th emasses and defend the scientists and the science when it/they are attacked by morons with a camera. If celebrities and Coca Cola can have PR people, shouldn't one of the most important things in the fucking WORLD have them? (Yes, science numbnuts).  

Science: Anthropogenic Global Warming. It's Real. Climate Change is NOT A CONSPIRACY.

Preface

I am going to blog about something that has been on my mind for quite some time and something I have consequently been itching to get down on 'paper.' I'm excited but a bit apprehensive, as this is going to be one of my most difficult blogs ever attempted.

The Topic and Thesis of the Blog

TOPIC:

Anthropogenic Global Warming (Global Warming caused by, at least in part, if not in full, by human activity).

Ongoing Debate With Rhology, the Christian Apologist: Special Pleading and Hypocrisy?

EDIT: Here is his response to this post.  I will be responding to it in time. It's headache inducing, so I may have to do it bit by bit ;)

This is a response to THIS POST, which itself was a response to MY RESPONSE to THIS POST by the user Rhology. That post of his is a response to my Initial Post which was a response to an older post of his (linked to in my original response post).

This might be starting to get confusing. Just follow the links, it's not nearly as confusing as it may sound. Basically, this is the thrid or fourth round in an ongoing debate of sorts with the Christian Apologist Rhology from the RHOBLOGY BLOG.

This response is definitely the most heated of what has thus far been a very civil, but strident, debate. I think I may have just opened the gates to some anger and perhaps even insults, although this was certainly not my intention. Sometimes, to be honest, you have to ruffle some feathers. Regular readers of mine may be scratching their heads at this point, wondering if perhaps I have sustained a head injury or something, as I am known for my fiestiness and proclivity to 'let someone have it' if they, in my estimation, deserve it. I only make these disclaimers in this case because this is someone who, up until this particular comment of his that I am responding to, was open and honest, with a respectful demeanor. Well.....I am afaid the demeanor may have remained intact, but the intellectual honesty seems to have taken the night off.....Let's get into it, shall we?

Response to the Response to my Response by a Christian Apologist

This is a response to THIS POST by the user Rhology (who I accidentally refer to as Rhoblogy in this...sorry man). That post of his is a response to my Initial Post which was a response to an older post of his (linked to in my original response post).

Here goes.

Dead Rising Case Zero WAS a Demo. DEFINITIVE PROOF!

Here is definitive proof that Dead Rising Case Zero is indeed intended to act as a demo (as previously discussed  HERE and in more detail, HERE). It was a replacement for the traditional free demo model and Capcom would like to use this going forward:

IGN: Case Zero came out just a few days back. Do you think releasing a paid-for prologue is a better idea than a free demo?

Video Game Addiction: Is it Real?

In this article I aim to take a modestly comprehensive look at the notion of video game addiction, and try to get to the bottom of the hype. Is video game addiction real, or not? Is it fact, or fiction? Truth, or Lie? Is it a reality facing gamers today, or a total myth? Is it a symptom of some other problem (perhaps an impulse control disorder), a condemnation of 'too much time' spent on a hobby unbecoming of an older teenager or even adult (as judged by a non gamer, usually issued forth through the cavernous maw that is a generation gap), a cultural phenomenon, perhaps the manifestation of an attempted escape from too much educational pressure put on the youth, or something else?
                
And if it is indeed real, are the video games an outlet for an addicted personality, or are they a causal factor? Does that distinction even matter? And, lastly, if it is indeed real, if there are people out there who seem to be addicted to video games, what does the research say regarding incidence rates, severity, and treatment outcomes? Is the media reporting this fairly, not taking it seriously enough, or blowing it way out of proportion?

These questions and more are going to be addressed as I tackle the issue of video game addiction. Is it fact or fiction?

INSANE VIDEO!! Republican Candidate for Stark County (Ohio, USA) Treasurer Phil Davison is BATSHIT CRAZY!!!

Here's a video of Republican Phil Davison (Ohio) delivering a speech in an effort to attain the Republican nomination for Stark County Treasurer. Of course, I say 'delivering a speech' in the loosest of possible manners. Click to play  the video and witness the mother of all political gaffes. Then try to figure out what the HELL his deal is.


Seriously, Phil.....Why So Serious?

Btw, he lost. Surprising, I know!

Response to a Christian on the topic of Atheist Morality

I have been engaged in a discussion with a christian apologist, who seems to have been at it for a long time. After some back and forth (during which he was refreshingly honest about his opinions, specifically those relating to the issue of morality in the Old Testament) this was the message directed at me, regarding atheist morality, atheistic inconsistency, and the accuracy of atheistic claims in the comment section of this person's blog (THIS is the post in question).

How to attract more blog readers.

How do I get more people to read my blog? How do I get more blog readers?  How can I attract an audience?

These are three ways of asking a question commonly asked around the internet. This question is so ubiquitous because all bloggers want their material read. Sure, many of us do this for ourselves, whether it be for catharsis or something else, but we all want to be read as well, otherwise we'd just maintain a private journal.

So, here is a list of 11 suggestions I recently gave to a friend who asked me this very question.

SEQUEL TO EDF 2017 (Earth Defense Force 2017) ANNOUNCED!

I literally just came upon this, so this is hot off of the press- well, hot off of my becoming aware of it. Earth Defense Force 2017 is GETTING A SEQUEL!!! A long awaited (by like 10 of us lol) sequel, I might add:

It's about time!!

Dead Rising Case Zero....You Guys Enjoying Your Demo?

Was it worth it?

because watch other developers adpot this model going forward. Suddenly, no demo for a game, but hey, there's a $5....prequel.....ya...

Those of you who keep insisting that it's not a demo aren't very critical in your thinking

God is Moral? Oh, Really? Simple Challenge for Christians! (Video to Follow)

This is a straightforward challenge for christians, consisting of three simple questions that pertain to a specific bible passage. If you are a Christian, and you believe Yahweh (your god, for those of you who are unaware of that particular name) to be moral, I challenge you to read the short bible passage provided, and then answer the threee simple follow up queries.

Ninja Gaiden Series Retrospective

Final Fantasy. Sonic the Hedgehog. Super Mario. Half-Life. Metal Gear. Halo. Resident Evil. Kirby. Call of Duty. Dragon Quest. Diablo. Gran Turismo. Ask a gamer what video game series is their favourite, and you'll often hear them name one of the above, along with a multitude of other diverse answers. One series that, for reasons I cannot understand, seems to get overlooked, even though many of the entries in the series are among the best of the genre on their respective platforms. The series to which I am referring is none other than Ninja Gaiden.

I Should Believe In God? Okay, Help me Pick One! (Enjoy!!)

Here's an incomplete list of gods proposed at one point or another throughout history. Please help me decide which one I should be following. For the sake of brevity (lol) Yahweh and Allah (same god anyways, no?) have been left out.

Agdistis or Angdistis

Ah Puch

Ahura Mazda

Alberich

So I'm Getting Better.....Only I'm Not......

Crohn's Disease sucks.


Ulcerative Colitis sucks.


Having both really fucking sucks!

Ask an Atheist Project: Lenano

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

What Does Our Proclivity to Root for the Bad Guy Mean in Terms of Our Morality?

What Does Our Proclivity to Root for the Bad Guy Mean in Terms of Our Morality?

How many movies have you seen where the protagonist is what we, in real life, would consider a 'bad' person, yet you found yourself gleefully cheering them on?

Is it Immoral For a Charity To Take Dirty Money? EDITED!

Just a thought: Would it be wrong for a charity to accept money that came from drug deals, theft, murder (blood money), etc?

Dirty money for a good deed....wrong?

EDIT: The charity in question knows the money is dirty.

Incoherent Ramblings.

This is a strange, silly, stupid blog entry that sort of just....happened. That being said, I make no apologies for it. Read at your own risk.

The Point of Gaming

This is a private message I recently received on YouTube:

Enlighten an ole dude. I have been computer literate longer than many people are old but I lost interest in games with pinball. What is the point other than time consumption and fighter pilot training?

If You Google 'Google' Will You Break The Internet? (PICS)

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Ask an Atheist Project Has Commenced!

The ask an atheist project is now underway! The first four entries are up:

magx01

SykoShadow

RelaxGodFolk

Vestsao

There is currently a fifth one in the works. I am looking for more, so if you'd like to contribute, drop me a line either here or on the comment section in my entry (magx01).

(For those who don't knwo what this is, please see THIS PAGE for an explanation.)


Enjoy what I hope to be a great blog project!

Ask an Atheist Project: magx01

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) Islamic theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

Ask an Atheist Project: RelaxGodFolk

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) Islamic theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

Ask an Atheist Project: Vestsao

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) Islamic theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

Rescue Me Seasons 1-5 Review

NOTE: I am going to attempt to review a television show for the first time ever. Having never done this, in addition to not being a huge TV person and having no expertise in the areas of television production, acting, etc, I am not going to be writing a technical review, nor will i be writing a terrible deep one. Hopefully it isn't too lacking and you can glean a few things from it. Let me know how I did, if you're so inclined. If you do give the show a shot after reading this, please, post back and tell me how it went, positive or negative. Just don't sue me ;)

Okay, Rescue Me review:

Fuck Ray Comfort. No Seriously, Fuck Him.

Ray Comfort Week continues, but this time there's nothing but insults. I'm mad as hell atm, and I'm venting. I've been watching some Ray Comfort videos and reading some stuff and I'm fucking ready to blow.

Ray Comfort Week Continues!! Comfort PWND?

I am not sure if pointing out simple logical deductions to a retard (sorry) is considered pwning as much as it is beating up on a hapless retard (sorry again), but this hapless retard (sorry, really) is manipulating people into believing lies, making them feel guilty for being human, and making big money off of doing so, so fuck it, it's a pwning.

So, on to what I will, perhaps tentatively (you decide!) call Ray Comfort being PWND.

Ray Comfort: Atheists Evolved From Chickens

Well, apparently it's Ray Comfort week here on The Thoughtful Gamers :)

Back in Januray of 2008, Ray Comfort ruminated over the idea that perhaps atheists evolved from chickens.

(I just came to find out about this idea of his yesterday, courtesy of the Non Prophets radio show (I'm working through the podcast archive, and I am in the 2008 season). )

Ray Comfort on John Lennon's Murder-er, rather, on how Justice Means No Food, Sleep, or Sex

Wow. I visited Ray Comfort's blog for the first time ever, and this is what I was confronted with:

http://raycomfortfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/john-lennons-murderer.html

He's in a tiff at the fact that Mark David Chapman (John Lennon's killer), who is coming up for parole this year, has been able to sleep, eat, and fuck in the 29 years that he has been in jail. I guess solitary confinement and sensory deprivation would be more fitting for Mr. Comfort?

New Video

Based on This Post:

My Encounter With a Religious Wackjob (I Am Apparently 'The Chosen One')

Note: This is a story from last year that I am reposting here.

According to this wacko patient I had at work (polysmonographic technologist for those who are unaware) this week, not only am I "special", but, I am actually......The Chosen One.

Brilliantly Stupid And/Or Ironic Forum Quotes Part Deux

It's sequel time, baby! This is a sequel to This Blog which was entitled Brilliantly Stupid And/Or Ironic Forum Quotes. So, let's gear up, and take on some more Brilliantly Stupid And/Or Ironic Forum Quotes sent my way by people trying to insult/own/'pwn'/denigrate/disparage or otherwise hurt me for whatever reason. *Whew!!* Try saying that 5 times fast.

New Dead Rising: Case Zero (0) Details (Follow Up to Previous Blog) EDITED!! (Capcom Lying/Being Disingenuous?)

Okay, so as of a few days back, my impressions of Case Zero (now seemingly renamed to Case 0) were not so favourable.

You can see my thoughts in full HERE

Here is an excerpt from that blog post (for the lazy):

unless Capcom changes their mind and releases Case Zero for free (fat chance!!), I am NOT getting it, and I suggest to any Dead Rising fans reading this that they leave it be as well, and send Capcom a message:

We will not pay for demos, assholes!
Yes, Dead Rising Case Zero is a demo. It's a demo and it's a damn ripoff!

This sentiment was based on, as I explain, the information released at the time (2 hours of gameplay, $20), my natural sceptical nature, Capcom's track record, and some video evidence for the gametime and price, as well as a developer and journalist both calling it a demo (all in the blog).

However, things just got complicated

Writing a New Short Story. Any Animators out there? Help Possibly Needed!

I just started to write a short story, and although I am only on page 2, I see potential in this thing to go a lot farther than one short story. I am thinking that a series of stories might be in order, and they might even be worthy of being turned into animated shorts for the internet. If anyone reading this happens to do computer animation, please leave me a comment, as I do not have any knowledge in this area, and so to make this idea come to fruition, I will require some help.

Cancer Cure Conspiracy Debunked: Cancer Cure Found and Suppressed My Ass!

Extra, extra, read all about it! Cancer cure found! But you can't have it! It's being suppressed!

.....Oh, really? Let's see about this, shall we?

Puzzle Quest 2 Thoughts

I may do a full review for the game once I have spend some more time with it, but I thought I would throw a few thoughts down on paper after maybe 10 hours of play (I haven't been able to play much of anything these last 2 weeks, and what little time i have had to play was split between PQ2 and Crackdown 2).

Right off the bat, I'll say that the game is absolutely a worthy sequel, and it erases the bitter taste left by the disaster that was Puzzle Quest Galactrix.

In Defense of The Anthropic Principle

As stated here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle the anthropic principle is the idea that the observations of the physical universe must be compatible with the life observed in it. The principle was formulated in response to the fine tuning/argument from design type arguments, which assert that the universe seems to have been created just for us, as all of the natural laws, and all physical constants contained therein, are conducive to life. The anthropic principle basically counters this contention with a well, duh. Of course it's all conducive to life. If it wasn't, we would not be here to make such observations. You cannot observe conditions of a given universe of you do not exist.

List of People to KILL

SykoShadow

PseudoIntellectual

Every god in existence (oh, wait.....)

Every fat moron in a 'Fat Moron with a Hot Wife Who's Always Right' sitcom. Tx for the damage to men!

Dead Rising Case Zero is a Ripoff. It's a Demo (VIDEO EVIDENCE). Also, Corporations Own Us. It's Time to Wake Up a Bit.

I am looking forward to Dead Rising 2, although with some trepidation. That being said, I am NOT looking forward to Dead Rising: Case Zero. Well, let me rephrase that: I am, in the sense that it's new Dead Rising and I really want to get my hands on some new Dead Rising, but unless Capcom changes their mind and releases Case Zero for free (fat chance!!), I am NOT getting it, and I suggest to any Dead Rising fans reading this that they leave it be as well, and send Capcom a message:

We will not pay for demos, assholes!
Yes, Dead Rising Case Zero is a demo. It's a demo and it's a damn ripoff!

But this is a prologue, not a demo!, you shout.

Crackdown 2 Reviews are In. Still Confused! Rent or Buy? ALSO, Gaming is a Relgion...My Religion.

Crackdown 2 Reviews are In. Rent or Buy? Also, Gaming is a Relgion...My Religion.

NOTE: This blog was intended to be a short discussion of my feelings regarding whether I should rent or purchase Crackdown 2, as I am feeling uncertain on this point, and the slate of reviews that have just come out don't seem to have helped in this regard. However, it ended up blossoming into this monstrous post regarding a bunch of other stuff including this big realization that gaming is a religion, and that, furthermore, gaming is MY religion. I, the most avowed atheist in existence (lol), an ardent antitheist, who blogs about his disdain for religion on a regular basis, have realized that I am indeed religious!

So, I will do this in sections. Look for the large, bold, red text to signify a new section, and sorry for the rambling. Hopefully the content more than makes up for the form....and the content.....lol!

Happy Birthday Canada? FUCK THAT!!!! Happy July 4th? Fuck that As Well. It's BULLSHIT

So, everyone is celebrating Canada Day (and now, it's July 4th, so people south of us are taking their turn). My thoughts?

Meh.

Sorry, just not patriotic. I have no nationalistic feel good sentiments to speak of. I much prefer to identify as human and think of us all as living on the same planet than think of us divided up into these arbitrary countries and then pledge my allegiance to the one I happened, by accident of birth, to be well, born into.


National birthdays are bullshit. I can't wait until tomorrow when all the flags are gone, the firecrackers stop banging up and down my damn street, and no one gives a shit again....

Cynical, I know..... 

July 4th Addition to the blog:

Major Changes! POLL INCLUDED, VOTES AND COMMENTS WELCOMED

As revealed Here and HERE, two friends (SykoShadow, an online friend, who is a great, borderline insane, sharp and hilarious guy; an unintentional badass who Jumps out of second story wndows and Claudio, my very best friend in 'real ife'; a rogue badass who's profession is so dangerous they made a web series about it and who is in my top 3 greatest people of all time list), both recently joined the blog as authors, taking The Thoughtful Gamer and transforming it into its older brother, The Thoughtful Gamers, which, as signified by the sexy and dignified brand new pluralization, can get into clubs without presenting ID, can drink at least  a glass of wine and a half without worrying about its figure, and now has a confirmed IQ of 67, which is a whopping (especially at this elite end of the spectrum....Mensa will be knocking on the door any day now, baby!!!) 23 points higher than the stellar IQ of 44 it held up until this point.

Myth Busted: William Lane Craig Is Rational

William Lane Craig, the poster boy for post hoc rationalizations and bald assertions based on outdated cosmologi- er, sorry, rather, the poster boy for Evidence Based Christianity, had this to say:

"And my view here is that the way in which I know Christianity is true is first and foremost on the basis of the witness of the Holy Spirit in my heart and this gives me a self authenticating means of knowing that Christianity is true wholly apart from the evidence. And therefore, if in some historically contingent circumstances the evidence that I have available to me should turn against Christianity, I don't think that that controverts the witness of the Holy Spirit."

''a self authenticating means of knowing that Christianity is true wholly apart from the evidence. ''

Wow, talk about circular.

Welcome Claudio to the Thoughtful Gamers!!!!!!!!!!

Following the announcement of SykoShadow's arrival, I am proud to announce the addition of my best friend Claudio to the Thoughtful Gamer's team!! I don't know if he'll ever post, but if he does, well look out because anyone who reads what he has to say will immediately grow a third nut (or a first if they are female), put on 10% additional muscle mass, have their voice deepen, and lose their religion (if they have one).

He is also in the process of building his first ever blog, which you can find HERE It's still under construction, but his already has a nicer aesthetic than mine :( Damn computer guys.....*grumbles*

If I sound overly excited.......I AM!!!!

Btw, Syko (you crazy fuck) and Claudio (you need a nickname, you sound too....nice) I have an idea for a group blog post that we can do. Little effort on your ends, don't worry :) Something small and relatively easy, but I think it will be fun. In the next few days, I'll do my part of it, and you'll see it saved as a draft. That will be your cue to add your own (bit by bit or all at once, no biggie) and then we can decide if we want to combine them into one or post them as three seperate ones. Basically, we'll all be ansering a few questions, getting 3 takes on some classic theistic queries directed at atheists.

Welcome SykoShadow to the Thoughtful Gamer(s) Blog!!

The Thoughtful Gamer is about to be renamed The Thoughtful Gamers, as my friend SykoShadow has joined the blog as a contributing author. In addition to the new author, the blog will now be displaying multiple blog posts per page; likely three but I am still playing around with this. Between 3-5 will be the final number, I imagine.

Atheist Billboard in North Carolina Defaced. NEWSFLASH, PEOPLE: "One Nation Under God" is DIVISIVE!!!!

I was sent a news story by a friend over MSN tonight. The story is entitled 'Atheist billboard defaced on N.C.'s Billy Graham Parkway' and it can be found at the following link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts2936?b

An excerpt from the story:

Unknown vandals unhappy about atheists' billboard in Charlotte, N.C., spray-painted "Under God" on the ad, the city's atheist association discovered Monday. The defaced message will remain in place until after July 4, the group reports, which is the soonest that workers can furnish a fresh billboard image. Here's how the vandalized billboard now looks:



The billboard reads, "One Nation Indivisible," which is the phrase preceding the 1954 insertion of the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, reports the Charlotte Observer's Tim Funk. The billboard was erected on Billy Graham Parkway last week. (Graham is, of course, the state's famous evangelical preacher.)

Alpha Protocol Xbox 360 Review

Alpha Protocol Xbox 360 Review-
Choose Your Own Adventure

Alpha Protocol is a 3rd person Action RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by SEGA. The game has you assume the role of Michael Thorton, a newly recruited secret agent working for the top secret organization known as the Alpha Protocol.

Note: This Alpha Protocol Xbox 360 Review can also be found HERE.

Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit? Pt. 3

This is a follow up to THIS post, entitled "Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit? Pt. 2"

Some further discussion has taken place. A new comment from him, in response to the last one I gave (featured in part two of this (originally not intended to be a) series:

Then again I never studied psychology so thank you for elaborating. I just don't know how that general psychology or psychoanalysis as you pointed out helps any in the business world other than bettering someone as a person. I feel the same about art even though I am kind of an artist myself; I think it's totally useless unless you're actually going into art.

And my response to that was as follows:

Well, I'm not sure why you're using the business world as an endpoint (remember though, I still basically agree with your contention), but if that's the one you're going with, I suppose one could argue that, ina ddition to bettering yourself, as you pointed out, you could possibly use an understanding of the human psyche to aid yourself in processes like detecting falsehoods, guaging prospective employees, social networking, closing deals, etc.


Not that I really buy that (well, to some limited degree, sure) but I think that could be an argument. Although, if you remove the business world as the end goal, you have all sorts of ends: the sake of knowledge, interest, interpersonal relationships (famiial, marital, etc), professional endeavours (counselling), etc etc.

I was never a fan of it, but I don't think it's wise to write it off entirely (not that you or I are necessarily doing that).

If you compare real world benefits of something like your field and psychoanalysis, I think that the clear winner is your field. I think the argument could be made that of all areas of study, mathematics is probably the most important, as much as I hate(d) it.

What do you think? If you offered an opinion after part one and/or part two, does this have any bearing on your opinion at all? As always, feedback is mucho appreciado.

EDIT: Go back to part one to see a comment from this very same person. His original opinion is no longer one that he holds to the letter. I think we had a productive dialogue here. I also got his major wrong :(

Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit? Pt. 2

This is a follow up to THIS post, entitled "Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit?"

A bit more discussion has taken place. Him:

At the same time many psychological hypotheses are not testable and repeatable and that is a controversy in psychology. Modern psychology does use the scientific method a lot so that's why I consider it to be somewhat of a science. I totally agree with what you said about neuropsychology and evolutionary psychology but when I was talking about psychology being 'lame' I was talking about the main branch of psychology that most people study in college. I think it's kind of useless in the business world, not totally though.

And my response:

You're talking about psychoanalysis, and you're 100% right. However, I don't think that's the most studied branch of psychology. I think (at least, it was at the university I attended), that psychoanalysis was taught in intro psyc as a starting point, and also in history of psyc courses. I could be wrong though, as this is only based on one school. I can say that there are so many branches of psyc now that I feel confident thinking that it's probably no longer #1, and I DO know that it's an area of contention within pyschology itself.


When I studied psychology, I took courses on psychopharmacology, neuropsychology, psychology of health, psychology of sleep, personality, learning psychology, psychology of media, social psychology, behavioural pychology, cognitive beahvioural therapy, etc etc etc. The only times I ever really studied psycholanalytic theory was in intro pych (aka psyc 101 as it is commonly referred to) and in the 4th year borefest, history of psychology. I believe a bit of it was also covered in a philiosophy class I took, as some of it wasrelevant to some of the philiosophical ideas we studied, but the details of this are hazy.

Thanks for the eaboration though, and I must say (and I say this with no condescension, I swear) that this serves as an example of how we must be careful when we speak, as it is easy to totally screw up and have our message be misconceived. I mean, you stright up denigrated all of psychology, when really, you were taking issue with a paritucular area of study within it. There's a huge difference there, and I went from being a bit....well, off put to completely understanding and even agreeing (although we could both be wrong in our conceptions, and I am sure there are plenty of people out there who would like to alleviate us of our misconceptions!!!!) (and they'd probably have a big problem with me, having studied it and all lol).

What do you think? If you offered an opinion after part one, does this have any bearing on that at all? Mine might not, as it is merely a retread since I had already discussed psychoanalytic theory, but his comment probably will, as it represents further clarification on his end; clarification which changed the way I saw his original comment, and quite likely may for you as well.

As always, feedback is mucho appreciado.

Horror Story: Memories Along a Fault Line (Conclusion).

This is the second and final part. Part One can be found HERE

This vision however, was just that, although it was actually retroactive in nature; just her dreaming mind adding its bizarre touch on an already bizarre real occurrence. The skull and ring of fire were just the horrific embellishments of the dream state. The first transition during wakefulness, and the accompanied change in lovemaking behaviour, however, were not. Neither were the cackle and the wink, and these, in conjunction with the crazed look on his face and the sudden change, were so horrifying, that the fire skull would have added little to her terror.


Now her dreaming mind took her to early March, 1995.

Bonnie awakening in the night. Lying on her left side, facing Bobby's side of the bed, she opened her eyes and saw.....nothing. No sign of Bobby. Turning over so that she was in the Supine position, she sat up, and was met with a frightening sight that stopped her cold. Bobby was standing at the foot of the bed, only it wasn't Bobby. Whatever it was that was inside of him was standing at the foot of the bed, and it was brandishing a knife, and it was grinning maliciously.


Eyes wide, she surveyed the situation. He was standing about three feet in front of the bed. The doorway, and only exit, was behind him and to the right. She contemplated jumping off of the side of the bed and running for it, but she knew that he would easily be able to get to her, if of course that was his goal. Which, of course, judging by the knife in his hand and the malevolent look on his face, it was.

Get moving then, her mind, always the pragmatist, insisted, And do it now!

Bonnie, feeling her fear manifest itself as a lump in her throat and a cold sweat on her back, quickly slid off the left side of the bed and groped for the dresser, realizing that her best shot was distraction. She groped for something she could throw at him, and she knew she needed to be quick about it. Keeping her gaze fixed on what used to be her husband, she blindly reached until she got ahold of something. It was her jewellery box.

It'll have to do, she thought.

And so, she wound up and threw the wooden box directly at his (it's?) face, and at the same time, dove across the bed, jumped off and ran for the door. She reached the doorway and came to a dead stop, uttering a bloodcurdling scream.


Bobby/it had hold of her and he was cutting into the back of her neck with the knife.


Feeling more pain and terror than she had ever thought possible, she, acting on complete instinct, threw her head forward and simultaneously kicked backwards as hard as she could. Amazingly, she managed to slip free of his grasp and took of running down the stairs, with him bellowing after her.

And then her dream shifted to mid March.

Bobby in custody. Bonnie, having decided that she would ignore her rational mind and just give it a try out of desperation, ignored the psychologists and had approached the local Catholic priest, telling a tale that was met not with incredulity, but a solemn seriousness that both unsettled and oddly reassured her, despite her intellectual and critical objections.


And so here she was. Bonnie and Father Belham, thanks to a favour granted by their lawyer, in a room with a chained up Bobby, who was, much to her relief, in one of what Bonnie referred to as his refractory periods. This struck her as doubly fortuitous, as these periods were growing more and more infrequent.

Flash forward through the introductions, explanations, demurring, pleading, solemn warnings, and eventual reluctant acceptance, and her dream finds her at the moment of truth.

Father Belham bent over Bobby, head on his forehead, reading from the Bible. Bobby sat, eyes closed, playing his part. And, contrary to Bonnie's expectations, her terrified eyes were met not with the grandiose stuff of film and literature, but a calm, quiet proceeding that was over in minutes and featured no climax whatsoever. Father Belham continued as he was for a few minutes, stood, pulled Bobby's eyelids both downwards and upwards, and said a few words to him, and then, seemingly satisfied, he walked towards Bonnie, and, escorting her out of the interrogation room, explained to her that things should turn out alright.

Bonnie awoke, the dreams resonating with her, lingering, reminding her of the events of that year long period in their lives. Steadying her breathing, she reminded herself that those events were long over. Bobby had, after much bureaucracy, testimony, and psychiatric care (unnecessary but impossible to get anyone to believe that) returned home, although home was now Cleveland. They had left Pittsburgh, and the events there, far behind them.

(or did you?)

Bonnie ignored the thought. There was no reason to think otherwise. Bobby had been his normal self ever since.

(had he really Bonnie?)

Sure, there were little lapses in his usual demeanour at times, but after what he'd been through, who would expect otherwise?

(what about two nights ago, Bonnie?)

Bonnie shuddered. Images tried to penetrate her consciousness but she did not let them. Realizing that she had been unconsciously rubbing at the scar Bobby had left on the back of her neck, a constant reminder of that dark time, she stopped and rolled over, wanting to wrap her arms around Bobby and assuage the discomfort that she was now feeling.

Except Bobby wasn't there.

Bonnie looked out to the hallway, and saw a dim light. Listening, she heard the faint sound of slightly running water, and the occasional curious metallic clinking sound.

Sounds like something hitting porcelain, she thought. What the fuck? Is he shaving?

Perturbed, she climbed out of bed and left the bedroom. She walked down the hall, her nightgown billowing out around her, and as she approached the open door of the bathroom, she, just by sound, ascertained that he was indeed shaving. She was filled with unease.

Why is he shaving in the middle of the night?


(ah, a part of you knows already, Bonnie, a part of you knows)

Bonnie's arms broke out in gooseflesh, and she pulled her nightgown tight around her, and, with her arms crossed tight against her chest, and her breath held, she entered the bathroom, and when she was met with the scene inside she screamed the scream of the mad.

Inside the bathroom, Bobby, or whatever it was that was inside of his body, was standing at the sink, shaving, a malevolent gleam in his/its eye. The water ran red with blood.

Bobby, or whatever it was that was in his place, was slowly shaving off pieces of his/its face. He/it looked up, and, meeting Bonnie's horrified gaze in the mirror, shook bloody chunks of skin off of the straight razor and, realigning it, started to take a strip off of his/its right cheek.

Bonnie fainted, and Bobby/it went right on shaving.

Horror Story: Memories Along a Fault Line (Part One).

      Lying next to him, feeling his heart beating inside of his chest, the beat strong and rhythmic, not arrhythmic, irregular, weak, or, perhaps (no, Bonnie, not perhaps, certainly) best of all, not the pounding, alacritous pattern known as tachycardia, she could hardly believe that the events in Pittsburgh had actually occurred.
    
  Ah, but you have the scar to prove it, don't you Bonnie? she thought. You know the one you instinctively run your finger alongside when you get anxious? Especially if that anxiety revolves around Bobby.

      Bonnie pushed the thought aside, and held tighter to Bobby as she closed her eyes and willed her nervous system to begin what she thought of as the shutdown routine, which was how she visualized her bodies' preparations for sleep. A computer, shutting down for the night, only to (hopefully) reboot in the morning, refreshed and strong, ready to tackle the day's challenges. She clung tight to Bobby and, feeling the patterns of both his respiration and pulse (both strong and exuding a comforting vitality, even in their sleep slowed states) she slowly plunged downwards into one of Poe's little slices of death; a night's slumber. And, as they often did, the events from the time spent in Pittsburgh revisited her during the night.

      There hadn't been any shouts of “The power of Christ compels you!” There had not been any pea soup vomit; nor had there been any three hundred and sixty degree head revolutions or any walking down stairs in a wholly terrifying upside down crab like shuffle. No “your mother sucks cock!” No masturbation with a crucifix. The events was no less serious; it was much more so, in fact, as the events in Pittsburgh had not been contained to the fantastical realm of the film woven through a movie reel. They may have been less, well, theatrical, but they were much more disconcerting. Much more terrifying.
   
       What preceded the events of that night was a slow but steady change in personality. Bobby's usual cheery demeanour had, in March of 1994, begun to show signs of intermittent slippage, almost like wear and tear on spark plugs resulting in the occasional misfire or hindered turnover. By September, these misfirings had almost become as probable as a normally Bobby day. In December, the mental abuse had begun.

      It had started with an incorrect bill payment. More to the point, Bonnie had accidentally overpayed on the previous months' gas bill, and Bobby had lashed out in a vitriolic stream of shouted curses and insults. Really nasty, horrible things, unwarranted, certainly, but more than that; the were completely and utterly without precedent. Even with his puzzling slow but steady decline in affect, he had never, ever been downright malicious, and in the time Bonnie had come to think of as Before, he would never had come even remotely close to admonishing her with any real expressed anger over something so trivial, let alone actually verbally assaulting her, but on December 4th, of 1994, sitting at the kitchen table, going over the financial records for the previous month and stumbling upon an overpaid gas bill dated November 17th, Bobby had marked a milestone in his After period by verbally abusing his wife Bonnie.
    
    There he was, in vivid detail, again at the kitchen table. His black hair damp against his forehead as he literally poured over the bills, paying excruciatingly close attention to all manner of fine detail; detail so fine it was not exaggeration to refer to it simply as minutia; the sort of stuff the Before Bobby would have skipped over with a wave of his hand, if any outward expression at all. Not this new Bobby, however. And certainly not this month, which seemed to be the worst thus far in a linear progression of a steadily worsening demeanour, slightly noticeable on a day to day basis, very noticeable if you backed up and took a month by month perspective on things. From that angle, you could almost see the trend angling upwards, plotted on a graph in black magic marker, with months listed along the X axis, and 'negativity intrusions upon the affect' on the Y axis. One could even imagine the title of the imaginary plotted figure, if one were so inclined: 'Inverse Relationship Between Positive Affect and the Passage of Time in Unceremoniously and Inexplicably Changed Males.' A word other than 'changed' occurred to Bonnie
    
     (possessed)
    
     but she did not pay it any heed. Even in sleep, the word was one that haunted her, and she would try her damnedest to avoid consciously thinking of it.

      Bonnie had been sitting across from him, watching as he spent several minutes per bill, agonizing over every detail, his brow soaked with sweat and his jet black hair, hair that Bonnie had, innumerable times over the course of their eight year marriage, run her fingers through, both in the throes of passion and outside of that aspect of the marital relationship, dampened with sweat, stuck to hi anyways). He tossed the bill he was currently examining aside and brought the next one to the front of the pile. He began to move his lips as he read the contents of the bill, and Bonnie had time to note two things before the events of the day, acting, unbeknownst to her at the time, as a harbinger of (much worse) things to come, took a turn for the worse.

     The first thing she noted was that for as long as she had known him, she had never witnessed him mouthing along with whatever it was that he was reading, and yet now he had been lightly reading aloud everything that he would normally have tackled silently, since the onset of whatever it was he was currently afflicted with. And this observation was the genesis for the second observation, which, while seemingly undeniable, was something that she wished she could both unsee and especially unhear: Bobby was reading aloud everything that he was reading while he was reading it........except he was reading aloud in a very ancient sounding language, a language that Bonnie was positive that he did not know........and he was reading in someone (or something) else's voice.

      His voice sounded thick, dark, leathery, scratchy, and old. Very, very, very old. It was a voice that conveyed an immense age, an immeasurable amount of power, and, just under the surface, perhaps more perceptible to some than to others, a hint of malicious intent. A malignancy bubbling beneath the surface, like the cancerous cells of a tumour rapidly metastasizing just beneath the surface of the skin; a dangerous process thinly veiled by the faintest of covers.

     The sound of that voice brought a chill to Bonnie's spine.

     Transfixed, Bonnie sat and observed her husband pour over utility bills with a fine toothed comb, until he hit upon something that stopped him dead in his tracks, bringing an end to the sound of that voice, and when he next spoke, at a normal (well, slightly raised), volume, it was with his own voice, and it was in English. Not a trace of any foreign languages or strange voices were to be heard.
     Had she imagined it?
    
    Did I really hear that, she had wondered, or was I imagining it? She knew that her husband's sporadic, often incomprehensible (compared to his norm) behaviour as of late could easily have inspired such an, such a (what? Hallucination? Vision? Aural imagining?), well, such an event . Well, either way, it was a non issue at the moment, because he husband's voice was back to normal, except for one little detail.

     He was shouting and cussing at her, hurling nasty insults like little invisible javelins; javelins that cut through the fabric of relationships that is woven between two individuals. Throw enough of them and that fabric is ripped apart, severing the ties that bind.

     Pulled away from her thoughts, and brought back to the reality of the moment, his voice suddenly swelled and filled her realm of comprehension like sound returning to the world when resurfacing after an underwater dive. Momentary confusion cannibalized by sudden clarity and a return to normal comprehension. Only this time, there was nothing normal to comprehend. Never in his Before period had Bobby acted in such a way.

      A nasty array of words, concocted and issued side by side and simultaneously, all with a singular goal: to hurt. To admonish, to chastise, to rebuke. All because of a simple error: the accidental overpayment of a gas bill (which of course could easily be rectified, with the aid of a simple phone call and perhaps ten to fifteen minutes to reach the proper channels and enter the appropriate information).

     The insults and curses kept coming, but now they were fading, fading away, as the dream shifted (as dreams so often do) forward in time, from December of 1994 to February of 1995, which was about a month shy of the one year anniversary of the beginning of the period Bonnie had come to know as Bobby's After period.

     The February-March 1995 period of their Pittsburgh ordeal played out rather quickly in reality, but in the Wild West that was time constraint in the world of dreams, the ordeal played out in the theatre of Bonnie's mind in mere seconds. As her eyes danced the dance of dreams in their sockets, her dreaming mind replayed the least few significant and terrifying events of the period of their lives known to her as either The Pittsburgh Ordeal, or Bobby's After period.

     Dinner table, sometime in February. Bonnie watching in perplexed horror as Bobby slowly cut a gash into his left wrist using the steak knife which he grasped in his right hand. He started at the palm of his hand, and worked his way up, only stopping after cutting a gash six or seven inches long, at which time he affixed his horrified wife with a gaze that screamed insanity; eyes bug eyed and bloodshot, black hair standing on end, right hand holding onto the knife still digging into the flesh of his left wrist. After staring at the horrified Bonnie for several seconds, seconds which had seemed to her in the moment to be successive eternities, he spoke, and for the first time since December that other voice had returned, but this time it managed to speak a broken sort of English, although said English was couched in random segments of what appeared to be nothing but gibberish.

     “Entah, untah, down the street, ugang, lugang, not across the road, barkah, sparkah, bitch slut hoe, twinkle toe, happah, dappah, that will be $3.99 bitch, you pay, I play, a love lost.” Bobby chanted this strange lullaby of insanity before bursting out into a strangled sounding, screeching sort of laughter.

     Even in the dream, Bonnie felt the ice cold fear grip her chest and run its marble fingers down her spine, in that practised way it had, having of course done it for time immemorial. She sat there, a prisoner in the iron grip of fear, completely at a loss as to what, if any, her next course of action should be.

     The dream, however, decided for her. Flash ahead to later that month.

     The bedroom, night. Bobby and Bonnie were engaged in lovemaking, their bodies draped together, limbs entwined, joined at member and mouth, Bonnie grateful for the break in Bobby's condition. They were far more sporadic now, but they still (fortunately) occurred. Like a break in stormy weather, when the rain would stop and the sun would break through the clouds, casting its exalting glow over the gloomy, rain soaked day, Bobby, the real Bobby, would break through for a while, and Bonnie, often dizzy with gratitude, would come at him with a barrage of questions and ideas, which all boiled down to you need help and we can do this together, both of which would be met with a very mild rebuke, the prevailing sentiment being I'm fine, it's just a bit of stress, it'll pass.

      Of course, Bonnie was never satisfied, and she also knew better; however, she would also be so thrilled (and relieved) to have her Bobby back for the time being that she would drop the matter in favour of conversation, lovemaking, a meal, whatever. Just average, everyday, boring old married couple things that, when they occurred so few and far between, felt more like a honeymoon than they did boring old marital activities. Even something as mundane as cleaning the house together would feel exquisite. Yet, Bobby never seemed to share in her joy, at least not to the same extent she felt it. It was as though he was unaware of the true extent of his condition and therefore was always slightly bemused when he would be met with an absolutely ecstatic wife upon the discovery that he was in one of what she came to think of as his refractory periods, a designation whose subtext was not lost on her.


     And so they were enjoying eachother on an intimate level during one of Bobby's refractory periods when something unprecedented occurred. Up until that point, Bobby's slippage in and out of his condition was preceded by, and took place during, sleep. However, this time he had transitioned during wakefulness, and it happened so suddenly that Bonnie was at first unaware. One moment she was underneath her husband, who was slowly making love to her, rhythmically synching his movements with hers, and the next she was underneath a madman whose thrusts were crazed and desperate. Animalistic and crude, she was being taken as opposed to being enjoyed, and when she looked up into her husband's face, an inquisitive look still forming upon her own, what she saw would haunt her for the rest of her natural life.

     In place of her husband's face was a grinning, gleaming human skull, with a ring of fire for hair, and a crimson mask, likely blood, upon its cheeks. When she glanced up at the dead thing ravaging her from the inside, just as she screamed, it cackled and dropped her a stomach churning wink, as if to say “Is it as good for you as it is for me, baby?”

CONCLUSION