I had a One Night Stand.

This blog is regarding my night last night. I am quite tired atm, in pain, and not feeling all that concerned with form, so I'm just sort of blahing on the page, so forgive any grammatical or other sorts of mistakes, and forgive the lackadaisical (is that even a word?) writing style......


Okay, on to my night!!

Allow me to set the scene:

A nice, long, romantic walk?

Check.

Romanitc dinner, featuring:

Candles?

Check.

Wine?

Check.

Great food?

Check.

Okay, so far so good. So, we head to the living room, start a fire, get comfortable, and then he tells me, dude.....I'm going to let you play with it tonight.

''For real and for true?'' I ask, my lower lip quivering ever so slightly, signaling the physcial manifestation of the desire burning deep inside me.

''Yes, for real and for true.''

And so, having said that, I leaned over, looked him deep in the eyes, and said ''Okay, turn it on for me.'' I then grabbed the sleek, beautiful controller on the little table next to him, faced the tv, and watched that PS3 logo hit the screen.

It was game time.

It was PS3 time.

It had been far too long (a month or so).

The following is the tale of this Wii60 gamer's one night stand with a Sony Playstation 3. All names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Okay, so I'm settled in, I have my hands wrapped around that sleep PS3 controller (seriously, wtf is with those triggers though......yikes. They always bug me) and the only question left is, what to play?

Heavy Rain demo, duh.

*boots up heavy rain demo*

Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awes-

What the fuck? R2 to walk?

Huh?

Um.....k......what?

....

Okay, let's just keep playing.......

Okay, walking along, nice fucking visuals btw, walking along......okay, wtf? I have to hold down 3 buttons to shimmy behind a dumpster? Is this somehow more immersive? I don't get it......Oi, alright, fine....let's keep playing....

Walking, entering building, paying off office....person......talking to weird looking hooker...don't like how thoughts are floating around my head, kinda dumb, but I guess I understand why....okay, anyways......more talking.....starting to feel for her......commecting to characters.....intrigued, feel sad for woman, leaving, asthma, bad looking dude, definitely trouble, back to room, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!!!......leaving, getting in car, oh cool, another scene, talking, walking, whoa, cool technology, few clues, talking, talking, huh, intrigued, okay, ah fuck, it's over :(

Okay, couple of design choices that leave me perplexed, but all in all, quite the unique experience. I'm intruiged. Wish I had the full game to play. Can't wait to borrow PS3 down the road, this will be the first game I play through.

Okay, next game.

Hmm, let's check the demo store, my friend suggests.

OH MY FUCKING SCIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


GOD OF WAR 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friend is very excited, downloads demo. I must now hand over controller....*sigh*

Friend plays demo twice, laughing like a schoolgirl all the way through. I must admit that it was pretty fucking impressive, even though, yet again, the combat is lacking, but I don't say this, let him have his moment.

I get the controller back, and alright, fuck it, might as well try GOW3, eevn though I'm not a fan.

Start playing, okay ya, doing this, doing that, blah blah blah. Meh, quit halfway through to a chorus of taunts from my GOW fanboy friend, who accuses me of being crazy.

Now we're playfully arguing about Bayonetta pwns GOW, no way nuh uh GOW pwns Bayonetta, blah blah.

Friend goes to bed.

I debate on what to play, swearing to myself that I am goign to stay away from Ninja Gaiden Sigma, because last time I had the PS3 to myself, I played Ninja Gaiden Sigma for 5 hours and didn't even get to play any of the other games I still haven't got to play, like Resistance.

And I'm playing Ninja Gaiden Sigma.......

*sigh*

But it's so awesome.....yes but you have all of the ninja gaiden's, it's still the same game, play somehting original.....ya but, no but, ya but.....ah shut up

*keeps playing, huge smile on face*

And I'm off to bed.

*goes to bed*

End of One Night Stand

Okay, so allow me to give a half assed ''review'' if you will of each demo. Keep in mind, I say review very lightly. I'm not putting on my review hat for these. Just a quick paragraph or two, and totaly informal ones at that.

Heavy Rain

So, despite some cumbersome and clunky controls (and a really fucking curious decision to have a walk button), the iffy floating/circular thoughts, and a few moments of weak dialogue and voice acting (which for the most part are both strong) Heavy Rain ended up being pretty damn awesome. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the full thing. I won't be able to for a few months, however, so I must avoid spoilers at all costs, so no Heavy Rain message board.

I rate the Heavy Rain demo a very solid 7.5/10. It was a decent length, definitely left me wanting more, and the game is solid, but the few few issues I mentioned really detracted from the experience for me.

Keep in mind, however, that in my scale, a 7.5 is pretty damn good.

God of War 3

God of War 3 is quite the experience......to watch. I actually really enjoyed watching my friend play it (despite the fact that he's a button masher, even by GOW standards). Sick ass enemy designs, nice graphics, awesome backgrounds/landscapes, visceral as hell finishers, sweet music....OH! and did I say awesome enemy designs? Seriously, when that Minotaur appeared, even this jaded motherfucker named magx let out an ''OH COOL!!!!'' (And then watched my friend get pwnd by it......*Sigh*).

Anyways, yes, GOW3 seems to excell in all of the areas the other ones do: the presentation, design, intensity, etc. But the combat, and I'm sorry GOW fans, I'm not saying it's terrible, but to me, it's lackluster. It looks good, but it's really quite lacking by my standards, and frankly, for the standards of the genre. The entire system needs to be reworked, and that actually reminds me, they didn't seem to have expanded it very much for this game, but it is a demo, so I won't make a final proclamation on that point.

I also guess in a way that it makes sense for what they are trying to convey. I suppose that Kratos zooming around the screen like Ryu or Bayonetta wouldn't make much sense, but they still could add some combo variety, give him more leeway in terms of cancelling stun properties and animations (like the roll), add a few extra luanchers and aerial moves to add some more emphasis on, and variety to, aerial combat (which my friend never once even used...wtf) and tighten up the evasive manouver (new button map, scrap the current animation in favour of a new, faster one. The AI also needs some work.

But that's just me.

I rate the GOW3 demo a 5.5/10 to play, and a 9/10 to watch. That shit was really fun to watch. I might just watch him play the full game when it releases lol.

Oh, and the ending......hehehehe. I had a feeling they'd hold back on the bosss fight, and they did. My friend got so excited when he saw Kratos come flying out of that ventilation shaft and zone in on that (awesome looking btw) bosses head....and when the demo suddenly ended his face was absolutely pricelss. I think he stared at the screen in silence for a full minute, with his mouth agape and a faraway look in his eyes......hehehehehe.

Oh, and of course, I rate my time with Ninja Gaiden Sigma an 11/10.

Oh, shit, almost forgot. In the morning (I crashed at his place) we downloaded the Yakuza 3 demo, and I got my first taste of Yakuza. Suffice it to say, I hope somebody makes a proper 3D beat em up one day.......

I rate Yakuza an underwhelming and clunky combat/10.

Is it so hard to do good combat in a 3D beat em up, people? I mean, come on, they can't just copy the formula of something like Dynamite Cop or God Hand?

If not, then shut up and make 2D ones, damn it.

Ciao....for now......

New Way to Access The Thoughtful Gamer!

This blog can now be reached via the url http://www.thethoughtfulgamer.com/ which means there are now two direct routes to soul corrupting atheism and morality destroying video games :)

Just thought I'd let you know :)

9/11 Controlled Demolition Conspiracy Theory Debunked

You think it was a U.S. government conspiracy that perpetrated 9/11?

Think the WTC buildings were brought down via controlled demolition?

Well, they weren't.

Here's a few points I'd like you to consider. This isn't entirely comprehensive of course, but I'm not doing all of your research for you.

1) Where was the evidence of the controlled demolition afer the fact? There is always evidence of the explosive devices on the scene after a controlled demo. Yet, no such evidence was ever seen. Wonder why?

2) When do you propose they went into the buildings and planted all of those bombs, and how is that that no one noticed anything either during, or anytime after this operation?

The world trade center tower walls would have had to have been opened on dozens of floors, followed by the insertion of thousands of pounds of explosives, fuses, and ignition mechanisms, all sneaked past the security stations, inside hundreds of feet of walls, on all four sides of the building. Then the walls would have to be closed up.

This all taking place without attracting the notice of any of the thousands of tenants and workers in either building?

Really?

And again, say that somehow happened, where was the evidence on the scene?

3) People point to the beams with diagonal cuts as evidence of thermite usage.

Well, the beams were cut.....During the clean up:





4) The towers were designed to withstand impact with a jet.

The towers did withstand the impact.

They were brought down by a combination of the damage sustained during impact, and the fires, both of which resulted in enough structural instability to bring the buildings down.

5) But it looks like a controlled demolition!!!

Turn your sound on, and then watch this 30 second video:



People will compare video of a controlled demo and video of the WTC buildings falling once they start to fall. Well, look at them before that point. When a controlled demolition takes place, the charges are extremely loud and follow each other in sequence. THEN the building falls.

Look at that video. The charges go off for 10 seconds before the building starts to collapse. This was not heard or described by anyone on 9/11, nor during the collapse of Seven World Trade. It is not in any videos or heard by any witnesses.

It was not a controlled demolition.

6) Still somehow think it was? Really?

Explain this:

Why did the collapse of buildings 1 and 2 start from the top of the buldings, where the planes hit??

Controlled demo collapses start from the bottom. Not the top.

There was no controlled demolition, and there was no U.S. government conspiracy.

My Drunk Baby

Top Ten Arguments "Against" Gay Marriage

The top ten reasons why gay people should not be allowed to get married. No way, no how. Nuh uh! No gay marriage!!


This is a VERY important topic, so I might get a little HEATED in this one.

This is an adaptation. I hope I put a decent spin on things.

BTW, I'm being incredibly sarcastic here. I'm 10000000% for gay marriage.

Newsflash for Creationists!!!

Zombie Apocalypse XBLA Review

Bring the Apocalypse, or Get Feasted On.

In Zombie Apocalypse, you have two choices. Either expend incredible amounts of ammunition bringing the Apocalypse to a bunch of brain hungry zombies, or just give up and be eaten. Not sure which option to take? Well, then this review is for you. This won't be a terribly lengthy review, as the game is quite simple. It's an arcade style twin stick shooter, in the vein of classics like Robotron and SMASH TV (both of which are also available on the Xbox Live Arcade).

Remember this?

Now there's this:

This game follows the same basic pattern. You pick one of four characters:

and then you start out in an area, blast away everything in sight, then move on to the next area when you clear the one you're currently in. There are 7 different environments, and you move from one to the other and back again over the course of 50 days (each level is a different day). And of course, like the games of old, you work to increase your score, which goes up higher and higher via a multiplier. You earn 1 to your multiplier for every 5 zombies you kill. You do this until you survive the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.

So, you do this, along the way picking up various weapons, which include a shotgun, dual SMG, rifle, molotov cocktails, flamethrower, grenade launcher, and rocket launcher. Your default weapons are an assault rifle and a chainsaw, which you can use in two ways. Normal, and execution. Executions add 3 to your multiplier for each one you do, so they are very useful, but they also leave you open for attack for a second after you do one, so you must use them wisely. When the shotgun toting sheriff zombies (yes, seriously) show up, you don't want to be stuck doing an execution when one of them is nearby, you'll be open to a shotgun blast.

Speaking of shotgun toting sheriff zombies, these are the enemy types to be found in the game (weapon or attributes in brackets):

Dodge Zombie (side-stepper)
Shambler (regular zombie)
Big Boy (construction worker, can't break)
Granny (knives)
Nurse
Queen (flying)
Puker (puke piles, slows you down)
Dynamite Guy (blows you up)
Infected Human (not attracted to bait)

That last one refers to two things I have not, as of yet, mentioned. There are survivors that randomly appear, and if you protect them for a short period of time, and they get picked up by helicopter, you get a score bonus. If they get attacked, they turn and then attack you. The bait mentioned is a talking C4 filled teddy bear (again, seriously) which you can throw to get the horde off of your back, and then watch as they gather around the lovable teddy bear.....and then BOOM, they explode into a pile of bloody gore. Well, this works on everything except the newly turned zombies.

Splat!

The game starts out with one mode, and then you can unlock some new ones through normal play. They are as follows:

Turbo (faster)
All Weaons (you carry infinite versions of every weapon, which you can cycle through with the dpad)
Blackout (limited light)
Hardcore (start with one life)
Chainsaw Only (self explanatory)
7 Days of Hell (a long and very difficult mode)

As for the difficulty, it starts out easy and then ramps up, gettting quite difficult later on, although this is offset by infinite continues, which you can use if desired. Any score earned after continuing does not get posted to the leaderboards. You start with 4 lives, and you earn more as you gain score.

There is 4 player co-op, both online and off, in addition to the aforementioned leaderboards. The game is really fun, especially at first, but it's not perfect. So, a few downsides to the game:

1) Only 2 bosses, and it's really the same one twice

2) It gets repetitive, seeing as how it's a fairly shallow arcade game.

3) At $10, I don't think it's overpriced per se, but at $5 it would have been a sure bet for more people.

4) There isn't a huge community for this, at least on the xbox 360 version (I can't speak for the PS3 version). It's been out a few days, and the most people I have seen online at once is maybe 40.

Overall, this is a good looking, fun, modernized take on an old arcade standby, the top down shooter. Very fun, especially with friends, and it has a decent amount if unlockables, which is refreshing. It can also get stale fairly quickly. If you're a high score junkie, then you'll find more replayability out of it. The price is fair enough, and it really is fun. For the price of a movie ticket, you'll get two (or more) times the amount of hours of enjoyment. So, despite the inherently repetitive and shallow nature of the game, it's definitely a recommended buy for arcade shooter and zombie fans.

Final Score: 8/10.

'Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future'

There is a book, released last year, entitled 'Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future' It's about the disconnect between scientists and the general public. The book's homepage: http://www.unscientificamerica.com/ talks about the issue.

Here is an excerpt:

Some of our gravest challenges—climate change, the energy crisis, national economic competitiveness—and gravest threats--global pandemics, nuclear proliferation—have fundamentally scientific underpinnings. Yet we still live in a culture that rarely takes science seriously or has it on the radar.


For every five hours of cable news, less than a minute is devoted to science; 46 percent of Americans reject evolution and think the Earth is less than 10,000 years old; the number of newspapers with weekly science sections has shrunken by two-thirds over the past several decades.


The public is polarized over climate change—an issue where political party affiliation determines one's view of reality—and in dangerous retreat from childhood vaccinations. Meanwhile, only 18 percent of Americans have even met a scientist to begin with; more than half can't name a living scientist role model.

The situation is pretty bad down there in the US (not sure how we're faring overall here in Canada, but I do know we're experiencing a fundamentalist uprising, and the asociated antiscientifc sentiments are rearing their ugly heads as well). Biased news media outlets pick up a story that conforms to their preconceived notions (say, Anthropogenic Global Warming is false) and gladly report it ad nauseum, hammering home the message for the viewers....all without bothering to either wait for things to come clear, or do some honest appraisal and fact checking.

And once the people hear it on tv...it's gospel. They don't think critically. They don't do the research themselves. Look at the whole 'climategate' thing. And, as the old saying goes, the lie spreads quickly and sticks, so even if the truth eventually gets out, it's too late (or something like that).

Another example was the supposedly suppressed EPA analysis of a climate change bill. Fox news was all over it, saying that the EPA did not include in its report a 98 page document generated within the agency that questioned the science of global warming.

Of course, if anyone had bothered to do any, you know, reporting, they would have found that the report was written by two non-climate scientists working for the NCEE, who relied heavily on the work of a leading figure of an industry front group to write their report, which was actually nothing of the sort. They regurgitated pseudoscientifc nonsense from the front group's website. But the damage had already been done, and the science of global warming was further undermined in the public's eye.

So, what the hell do we do? Do scientific establishments need to hire full time PR firms to counter this bullshit before it does the damage it so often does?

Do we revamp the education system so it puts more focus on critical examination and less on blind acceptance and submissiveness to authority?

WHAT? What can we do? Are people too far gone? Is everyone too busy with their ipods and such that they don't have time for the science anymore? Are we too accustomed to having our knowledge delivered to us in quick 3 minute soundbites? I mean, how many people actually refer to the actual science? I love asking deniers of AGW or Evolution,

How much of the actual research have you read, or even glanced over? Hell, how many abstracts have you read?

The answer is usually none.

People deny decades, and even centuries worth of multidisciplinary scientifc evidence, and all they have to go on is some biased news stories, a couple of articles on the internet, and most importantly, selfish reasons for wanting to deny these things, religious, political, financical, or otherwise.

It's incredibly sad, and it threatens our actual futures. Yes, no hyperbole. It threatens our very future.

I'm now a Youtube Atheist,

Well, I Made my foray Into the 'Youtube Atheism' thing, for better or for worse...

With Tears in my Eyes and a Hard-on in my Pants.

So I finally get a reprieve and start feeling better (been sick lately), and I also happen to have a bit of time on my hands. What to do, what to do......Well, I could go for some video game time. Get some time in with my xbox 360......oh, but I fogot I have an errand to run....hmmm, perhaps I can rent a game while I am out......

So, I go to blockbuster to rent Raiden IV for the xbox 360, since I've been wanting to play it, and my wife was clearly done with Magna Carta 2, since you know, it's been sitting there for 2 months (rental pan) unplayed and crying itself to sleep each night as it tries to console itself with the lie that tomorrow will be the day, so just hang in there......


Anyways, I return it and head over to the 360 shelf, where I grab Raiden IV from its dusty and desolate place on the shelf, right in between all the other games that people actually rent. I dry its tears as I whisper sweet nothings in its ear, and turn to head towards the front desk. And that's when I see it.

The bargain bin.

NO!! I remind myself. NO! Amanda's on maternity lea-

wait a minute........no she's not. Not any longer. She's back to work.

but that means.....

HOLY MOSES OF ISRAEL I CAN BUY SHIT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wipe MY tears this time, wait until my erection subsides (hid it behind the Raiden IV case, which I am sure must have felt good for it, after being alone for so long, but I digress) and skip over to the bargain bin to see what's what.

I end up grabbing 5 games for 30 dollars. Yay! Here's what I bought, and why:

Wartech: Senko no Ronde

Why: Reminds me of Psychic Force 2012 and it was $5.

The Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2

Why: Demo was okay, 2 games for $15, and I looooooooove beat em ups, so I'll get some fun out of it.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance

Why: Played before, was decent, and it was $5.

Armored Core 4

Why: Mechs, blow shit up, and it was $5.

Oh, and this is Raiden IV, you n00bs:

Perfect Dark XBLA Remake Imminent (Footage!)

Due out in March, for a (rumoured) measly 10 dollars (800 MS points)! All I can say is, Perfect.

....Pardon the poor pun. But I'm really quite excited. Perfect Dark was a seminal console shooter, and they seem to have kept everything intact while improving on it in several key ways. I'm stoked.

Avatar Leads to Misanthropy

Avatar also leads to sore glutes, nostalgia for a time and place in which one never actually existed, irreparable harm to one's stodgy jadedness, attraction to 60 year old women, and teenage smoking.

It also spawned a horrible porn series called Avatart!

Or didn't it? If it did not, it certainly should. Quality cinema there. Right up there with The Sopornos.

Btw, I enjoyed this movie enough to see it a second time. My answer to the question ''Was it good for you?'' was a resounding ''One more time!'' Cameron's next steak is on me, I suppose ;)

Bejeweled 2 Deluxe XBLA Review

Bedazzled

Bejeweled 2 Deluxe was released in 2005 for the xbox 360. It's a sequel to the hit puzzle game Bejeweled. The concept of Bejeweled, as is the case with most puzzle games, is really quite simple. There is a board filled with gems, or jewels, of various shapes and sizes, and your goal is to swap places, two gems at a time, in order to cause three or more of the same kind of gems to line up. This results in them disappearing from the board, only to be replaced by the same number of a random selection of gems. Also as is the case with most other puzzle games, this simplicity is deceptive, as there are various strategies to be employed en route to clearing the requisite number of moves in order to progress. At least, this is the case for some of the modes. The end goal changes depending on which of the several game modes you are playing. We'll come to this momentarily, however. I'd like to describe the basic gameplay in just a little more detail before we get to the game modes.

There are seven main types of gems: the red square, the green circle, the yellow diamond, the white circle, the orange hexagon, the blue rounded (Reuleaux) triangle, and the purple triangle. When four of these are matched, a Power Gem is created. These are special versions of the regular pieces that explode when matched with other gems, destroying the surrounding pieces. When five gems are matched, a Hypercube is created. These special pieces destroy all of the gems of a given variety on the field when matched with one of that variety. For example, matching it with a purple triangle results in all of the available purple triangles being destroyed. These Power Gems and Hypercubes become focal points of the gameplay, as they play heavily into the strategies employed in the game.


As alluded to earlier, there are several game modes found within Bejeweled 2 Deluxe. There are nine modes, to be exact. The standard mode is as described above. The Action mode is a timed version of the standard mode. Puzzle Mode is a mode in which you are presented with various puzzles which need to be solved by matching specific gems in a certain order, thereby clearing the board. Another mode available in the game is the Endless mode, which is comprised of a series of levels, which increase in length as you get farther in. The hook in this mode is that you can never lose, hence the title 'Endless Mode.' Unlike in the regular modes, you will never get the dreaded no more moves text popup, which signifies a game over. The rest of the modes are hidden, and are up to the player to discover.

Visually, the game is pleasing to the eye, especially in high definition. Nothing ground breaking, but it's a nice clean, simple look, with sharp detail and beautiful backgrounds. The gems have a shine to them which catches the eye.

The game, like many other in the genre, is seemingly innocuous at first, but gets devilishly harder as time progresses, and if it grabs you, will hook you in for many, many hours. The developers tried to play to this with the achievements, which are very, very difficult to attain and almost incomprehensibly time consuming for the most part. The one for reaching level 280 in Endless mode, for example, will take about 100 hours to complete. Then you add in the 10000 power gems/1000 hypercubes achievement, and you have yourself a lot of gameplay ahead of you, if so inclined.

As far as negatives go, there are but a few. It's not incredibly complex, but that seems to work to its advantage. There's just enough depth to keep you interested, while at the same time remaining simplistic enough to be accessible and fun. However, this lack of depth may be seen as a downside to some gamers. Another possible downside is that there is no multiplayer. This is a single player only affair. The game design is not one that strikes me as particularly conducive to multiplayer, but some people may feel otherwise.

This is a good game that will appeal to most puzzle game fans, save for those few who require vast amounts of depth in their puzzle games. Other than that group, this will be a good purchase, and at 10 dollars, it's a good value, especially considering the gameplay hours you can squeeze from it. It's the type of game that's good for those times where you don't want to play anything too engaging, but rather, just sort of zone out and play something that will help you unwind after a long day. And if you're an achievement hunter, you've got your work cut out for you.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

My Attempt To Return Vampires to Glory. Pt. 2

PLEASE NOTE: You should, before reading this, definitely read PART ONE if you already have not. I strongly recommend doing so. It will only take you a few minutes, and will greatly enhance the 'experience,' if you will, of reading this one. Thanks, and enjoy!

It's a sad time to be a fan of vampire lore. They started off so well. From Bram Stoker to Anne Rice, vampires have become entrenched in our consciousness, and for good reason. Terrifying yet alluring, these creatures who roam by night and sleep by day strike both fear and curiosity into those who encounter them.

But now......

Now Hollywood has taken vampires and comepletely ruined them. Vampires to not go to school. They do not engage in teen romaces. The certainly do not glitter in the sunlight!

Vampires should be nasty creatures who can put on a veneer of civility if it suits them. They are essentially undead psychopaths. There have been varying iterations of these creatures throughout the years, sarting with Bram Stoker's vision of a refined gentleman living in a gothic castle who harbored a......nasty little secret, and unfortunately culminating in the affront to the horror genre we see today:


Really, what the hell is that?

My personal idea of what vampires should be is a cross between Stoker's original vision and the nasty, viscious creatures seen in the movie 30 Days of Night:

Now THAT'S a Vampire!

And so, with this in mind, I bring you a second excerpt from my entry into last years' 3 Day Novel contest. The entry is a short novel, written in 3 days, as per the rules, so it's definitely a bit rough around the edges, but I believe it turned out rather well for a 3 day marathon effort. So, without further ado, I give you excerpt #2 from Hunter's Bluff, my attempt to return vampires to the state to which they rightfully belong, while at the same time hopefully injecting some new ideas.

(Enjoy, and feel free to offer any criticisms you may have.)

In the house, Amanda rolled over in her sleep. Andrew and Sam were just reaching the top of the stairs. Eyes moving in all directions, breathing rapidly, they stopped, listening. Again, they heard nothing. They reached the top of the stairs. Sam looked left, and Andrew went right. Sam began to think he may have imagined the sound after all, when Andrew gave a yell. Startled, he turned quickly around, instinctively raising the knife over his head, his grip on it so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

Andrew was looking at the door at the right end of the hall, mouth agape. Sam followed his gaze and he too dropped his lower jaw. The door in question was at the very end of the hall, and it led upwards, into the attic. It was also slightly ajar. Both of them thought this very odd, as they had searched the entire house upon entering it, before settling in the kitchen, and the attic door had not been open then. They hadn't bothered to enter it, since they'd thought of no reason to do so. But they knew for sure that the door was not open when they had been upstairs earlier.

There's someone in there, Andrew thought.

Something's in there. But what? Sam.

They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They stood silent, eyes never leaving the door that led to the attic. They had no idea what to expect. There were no sounds coming from the attic. The door was still, not opening further, nor slamming shut. No hand reached out to beckon them in.

Nothing. Totally silent, motionless. The door hung ever so slightly agape, binding them to the spots in which they currently stood. Immobilizing and perplexing them.

Daring them to enter.

Sam was the first to move. With the knife still held above his head, he stepped around Andrew and dared to take three steps towards the attic, and then froze, waiting for something, anything to happen, some sort of indication as to whether or not the attic was actually occupied. A few dozen seconds passed, and nothing happened. He turned to Andrew and whispered.

“Maybe the door is just loose.”

At this, Andrew felt some of the fear dissipate. He immediately agreed with this proposition. Whether it was because it seemed the likeliest or because it served to alleviate fear and take his mind off of some alternatives, he did not know. Just to prove that this was the explanation, he approached the attic door and reached up to close it. And that was when he smelled it. Something metallic.

Coppery.

Blood. He stepped back from the door and turned to Sam.

“What is it, what, what?” Sam couldn't take it anymore. His fight/flight response had been triggered for and he was ready to just pick one course of action and commit to it.

Andrew looked at him, his eyes wide with fear. “Blood,” he whispered, “I smell blood.” He stammered. “I-I don't under-,” he shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. “Let's go, NOW!” He rushed down the hall, towards the stairs. As he neared Sam, Sam grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“Just wait a second, there might be someone in there that needs help.” He wasn't sure what was up there, but he know that it was possible there was someone up there that needed assistance, and he was not going to abandon them if he could help it. He also knew Andrew would feel the same, it was just that he was overcome with fear. Sam himself was terrified, but he also knew that the possibility that some crazed killer was hiding in the attic of the house just biding his or her time waiting for someone to walk up there was pretty outlandish.

Ah, but it's possible, his mind interjected.

He pushed away the thought. “Wait here.” Gripping the knife as tightly as possible, he approached the attic door, and slowly, slowly, reached an arm up to grab hold of its bottom. It was an old style one with a ladder attached to it. He hesitated with his hand on it. He counted to five.

So far so good.

He pulled the door all the way down and slid down the ladder, trying to be as quiet as possible. Both he and Andrew winced at the sound it made hitting the floor. Again he counted silently to five.

And again, nothing. No sound, no movement, no crazed killers' face or groping hand with an iron grip.

Sam began to ascend the stairs.

----------------------------------------------

Outside, Gideon froze. He had heard something. A yell, coming from somewhere close by. It was faint, coming from inside somewhere and probably not very loud, but for him, it was perceptible. Faint, and although he wasn't able to zero in on its location, he knew he'd definitely heard something, and it came from somewhere close by.

And it was human.

A feeling of triumphant vindication and excitement rose up within the ancient creature. Even after hundreds of years, the thrill of the hunt still appealed to him, still aroused the senses. And now, in his current state of hunger, how fortuitous that a human, no, more than one human, should suddenly materialize in his little corner of the world? He had been correct, the other human had not been alone.

Such predictable little gnats they were. To think he himself once had been a member of their ranks. The thought was nauseating. Humans were stupid, despicable, scurrying, worthless creatures. But they were tasty.

Oh yes. And he shall have that taste again, and soon. It had been a long time prior to this evening. He had gone hungry for human flesh and blood for some time, and what he'd had this so far this evening was but a taste. He'd survived for nearly two months on the wildlife in the surrounding area. Whatever little creatures he could catch. They provided enough sustenance to sustain life, but it wasn't enough. He'd been hungry, and he hadn't enjoyed a hearty meal in quite some time.

But now, he had stumbled upon a veritable feast of flesh. He wasn't naive enough to believe that there was some being out there, looking out for him, and making provisions, but in this moment, he could understand why the stupid humans fooled themselves with such pitiful and petty indulgences of thought.

He started to head in the general direction from which the sound had originated.

EDIT: Here's PART THREE

Article about someone leaving the JW Cult

An article entitled ''The knock at the door that turned my parents into brainwashed fanatics - and nearly cost my life'' was published yesterday on dailymail.co.uk. It details a woman's struggles with a JW family, and what happened to her when she ultimately left.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1250078/The-knock-door-turned-parents-brainwashed-fanatics--nearly-cost-life.html

Small excerpt:

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that blood is sacred and that accepting a transfusion - which is likely during many operations - is a sin. Frightened and in pain, I was told by the doctors that I was in grave danger if I refused a transfusion.

The anaesthetist, clearly agitated and upset, even said to me: 'Do you realise you are going to die and leave your babies without a mother?'


Before I could protest, Dennis, an elder I had known for a few years, was at my bedside. He was in his 70s and from a Brighton congregation - all Jehovah's Witness elders are males. I genuinely thought: 'Dennis is coming to help', yet here he was clutching a form stating I would refuse a transfusion and telling me to sign.


I glanced over at my parents and my husband Bob, hoping they would say something, but they stood by obediently, saying nothing while the elders took over.


It still hurts to think we were all so brainwashed that they could have stood by and watched me and my babies die.


I was in absolute turmoil. I knew that if I didn't sign the forms I would be banished from the movement and from everyone I loved and would be left without the support of my family.


I didn't want to die, but Dennis simply stood there, pen reaching out to me and I knew what I had to do. I signed.

Read the article, and then post your comments here. The only thing I can say is that I know someone who went through a similar experience, and to this day she struggles with guilt. This guilt has persisted for decades. You see, her daughter was dying and she ultimately relented and allowed her to get a blood transfusion, and this set the stage for her being segregated from the rest of the JW community.

Her own husband chastized her for it. He had been pushing for her not to, saying that if their daughter was to die, that was 'God's Will.' They ended up divorcing, and she is no longer with the JW organization, but still stuggles with the guilt and constantly worries about hell.

It's a pretty sad state of affairs.

You're Not An 'Agnostic.'

We're all agnostic. If your answer to the question ''Do you believe in a god'' is yes, you are a theist. If it's anything but yes, then you are currently an atheist.

Theism=Belief
A-theism=Lack of said belief

Gnosticism=Knowing
Agnosticism=Not knowing.

We all either believe or not, but no one ''knows'' for sure. Hence, the agnosticism part. Whether or not you believe is a matter of being convinced by the evidence. ''What evidence?'' you may ask.

Well, pick a religion.

You know the ''holy'' books, the arguments, the stories, etc etc? That's the evidence. If you don't find any of them compelling enough that they have convinced you of their veracity, and none of the non specific arguments for a deity like the cosmological or teleological argumets have convinced you, then you're an atheist.

If they have convinced you, then you're a theist, and are either a deist (convinced by the nonspecific arguments, but not by a specific religion), or you were convinced by a specific religion and now are a Hindu, or a Christian, or whatever.

You cannot just simply be 'An Agnostic.'

Gaming Sequels, New Ip's, and Ubisoft.

Sequelitis, New Ip's, and Ubisoft.


Ubisoft backing off new IP's as holiday sales slip

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6249972.html

In recent years, Ubisoft has launched a bevy of new series with varying degrees of success. Since 2006, the publisher has introduced gamers to Assassin's Creed, Shaun White Snowboarding, EndWar, HAWX, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Call of Juarez, and Haze, among others.


Assassin's Creed paid off for Ubisoft, but the publisher's looking to take fewer risks of that sort in the future. The flow of original intellectual properties from Ubisoft will be stemmed in the coming years, as the publisher is shifting its focus away from new franchises. In reporting its final results for the third fiscal quarter (three months ended December 31, 2009), Ubisoft confirmed a reduction in new creations investments.


The scaling back on new franchises is one part of a Ubisoft plan to ultimately have its major franchises seeing more frequent and regular releases.

UGH. WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!

When I saw the headline on gamespot, I went into cynic/anger mode. I was ready to rage. What the fuck Ubisoft? Your new IP, Assassin's Creed, has sold in the MILLIONS (AC2 has sold 8 million....well, shipped, but still). All of your big hits were new IP's at one point. We're already suffering from sequelitis in this industry, and now you're going to make it worse?

FUCK YOOOUUUUUUUU!!!!

This feeling was amplified by 100 when I read this:

..reconfirms Oct.-Dec. earnings fell 3 percent to $682 million.

WHAT? You earned 682 MILLION fucking dollars in one quarter, and you're cutting IP's because that represented a 3 fucking percent drop? HOW GREEDY CAN YOU GET?

But then I read on:

For the full year ending March 31, 2010, the company expects to post an operating loss of €50 million ($69 million) off sales of €860 million ($1.19 billion).

...


Oh.


....


...


Oohhh.....


Now I get it. It's hard to believe, but damn, they're losing money.

This perfectly exemplifies the fact that it's possible to be be a huge corporation, raking in billions of dollars in sales, and still be in the red. Many people (myself included) often critisize these companies for what we perceive to be shady (some DLC) or just unfavourable (cutting new IP's in favour of sequelitis) practices. I happen to do this a lot. It's hard to think that these companies can make so much money, yet still post losses at the end of the year.

I guess I'm going to have to be careful from now on, and try not to be so reactionary when I hear news like this (that will be very hard, I'm sure, as it's going to be tough to seperate the legitimate moves from the lazy/greedy ones, unless full financial data is disclosed).

BUT HOLD ON.

It's unfortunate that things are going this way, and my initial reaction was to blame us, the gamers. We're not buying new IP's. It's our fault. And this is partly true. However, as I said earlier, Ubi just released the news that they have shipped 8 million copies of AC2. Now, I don't know how HAWX or Endwar sold. I don't know how the Raving Rabbids spinoffs of Rayman are selling. The thing is, if they aren't, maybe it's their fault.

Maybe they need to make better games.

Companies are so quick to deem something unfeasible or unprofitable once it has been tried unsuccessfully. ''People didn't buy enough copies to warrant a sequel.'' Well, maybe that's because it fucking sucked? Doesn't mean the IP isn't viable. It just needs to be done better.

Sure, some great new IP's go overlooked. Okami and Psychonauts are two commonly touted examples of this. Often though, the new IP is mediocre, and the sales reflect that. Or perhaps, as is likely the case with Okami and Psychonauts, the game just doesn't appeal to a wide range of gamers.

Does this mean we cut out new ideas? Sure, a proven success is a proven success. But that's short term thinking. Don't they realize there won't be any industry left if all we have in ten years is COD, GH, Madden, Halo, and Assassin's Creed (extreme exaggeration, sure, but I think you get my point)?

Then again, every friggin new iteration of these games sells like hotcakes, so I guess gamers are getting what they deserve.

I don't know. I understand the sentiment. If people seem to want sequels, well, let's give it to them. We need to make money, and when we're losing money, we can't afford to take risks. But at the same time, I worry about gaming as a whole, and also, the creative/artistic aspect if it. I'm not some naive idealist, I understand that the companies are in it for the money, but damn, there should be more to it than that. It's better to create and earn then to rehash and really earn, in my opinion.

I'm starting to ramble now. When I started this I had a clear conclusion in mind, but now I don't know what to think.

What do you think?

New Research: Atheists 'just as ethical as churchgoers'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7189188/Atheists-just-as-ethical-as-churchgoers.html

Few excerpts:

People who have no religion know right from wrong just as well as regular worshippers, according to the study.

People who did not have a religious background still appeared to have intuitive judgments of right and wrong in common with believers, according to the findings, published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

The team looked at several psychological studies which were designed to test an individual’s morality.


Dr Hauser added: "The research suggests that intuitive judgments of right and wrong seem to operate independently of explicit religious commitments

 You can read more at the link I posted above.
 
To this, I think the only thing I can say is, "duh!" To any reasonable person, this is quite obvious. However, unfortunately, there are many people out there who feel that someone such as myself, has no moral compass.
 
They could not be more incorrect. Hopefully now, at least a few of these people will be stripped of such notions. The notion that one needs religion to be a moral person is incredibly outdated and misguided, and it's time to put it to rest.

Sarah Palin: 100K for Q/A, Still Needs Crib Notes

So Sarah Palin uses crib notes for a Q&A session, during which she was asked general queestions about concepts and things she supports. She is unable to even recall her own stances on policy?


Here's the question for which she needed to consult her hand:

What are the top three priorities once there's a conservative president and congress?


....

---

Can someone please, please, help me out here. Explain to me how someone so incredibly useless can get paid 100K for a speaking engagement, and possibly run for president, after all of the stupid, stupid things she has said?  And even now after this, people will continue to take her seriously.

What must one do to lose credibility anymore? It used to be that people had integrity, and were qualified for the positions they were running for (and even if they didn't, and weren't, they knew how to hide it).

Now......ya, I don't understand it. You can be a war criminal and still get paid huge money for speaking engagements, rather than be placed in jail like you should be (Bush), you can be a complete and utter dolt, still get paid for speaking engagements, get hired to work for a news channel (if you can call it that) and possibly run for US presidencey (Palin).

What the **** is going on down there?

How did we get this far? We have free speech on trial in Amsterdam, we have this woman who:

1) Doesn't know her own policies

2) Still fails prescreened questions

3) Tried to ban books

4) Thinks foreign policy consists of proximity and visibility

etc etc etc

And somehow, rather than be made a laughing stock, she:

1) Has a million plus selling book

2) Gets paid 100 thousand dollars to speak to disenfranchised people about greed

3) Was a presidential running mate

4) May be running for US presidency in 2 years

etc etc etc.

It hurts. It honestly hurts. I'm only 28, and I can honestly say I sometimes feel like I might as well give up, it's over. This is one of those times.

Am I the only one who gets nostalgic for time periods in which he did not even live? I see images and video of the early 20th century, and I wish I was there....but, yes, I am aware of the rose tinted glasses thing. I know the folly of the ''sinking ship'' view of the current generation.

It's just so hard sometimes......

Confession Time

I'm not really a 28 year old male video game enthusaist. I am actually a Brazilan woman with dark hair, C cups, and an enigmatic smile.


That is all.

Geert Wilders: on trial for telling the truth

Two Years in Jail for "Offending People?"

This blog, by Douglas Murra, a bestselling author and award-winning journalist based in London, describes an ongoing trial in Amsterdam, which consists of a popular politican being put on trial for.......are you ready for this?

Offending Muslims.

Yes, freedom of speech is on trial in Amsertdam.

A small excerpt:

The Dutch courts charge that Wilders ‘on multiple occasions, at least once, (each time) in public, orally, in writing or through images, intentionally offended a group of people, i.e. Muslims, based on their religion’.


I’m sorry? Whoa there, just a minute. The man’s on trial because he ‘offended a group of people’? I get offended by all sorts of people. I get offended by very fat people. I get offended by very thick people. I get offended by very sensitive people. I get offended by the crazy car-crash of vowels in Dutch verbs. But I don’t try to press charges.

Yet, crazily, this is exactly what is going on now in a Dutch courtroom. If found guilty of this Alice-in-Wonderland accusation of ‘offending a group of people’, Wilders faces up to two years in prison.


If anyone doubts the surreal nature of the proceedings now going on they should simply look through the summons which is available in an English translation here. It shows that Wilders is on trial for his film Fitna. And for various things he has said in articles and interviews in the Dutch press.

This video talks about the issue:

Ritual killings of children in Uganda

This basically speaks for itself.....

Gamer On Fire!!! ( Gameronfire.com )

Gamer On Fire!!!

I am now on staff at a gaming website. We're still working on defining roles, but it appears that I will be the Lead Content Editor, or something akin to that, as well as a writer (primarily xbox 360 related content, I imagine, but as I said, roles are still being defined), and a forum moderator. We are throwing together ideas for a podcast, a video service, and some other cool stuff like integration with and support of, professional gaming teams, and some other neat stuff.

The site is also going to feature a discussion forum that allows basically any and all discussion in regards to gaming. None of that ''blog it'' or ''no vs. threads'' shit. If you want to post a topic extolling the virtues of one game over another, go for it, but at least try and be constructive about it. If you think the DS is better than the PSP, say it. We're not little children who will jump to rally behind our little plastic devices and act all indignant upon hearing a dissenting opinion. And if you act like one, you won't have mods to protect you from others' opinions, so you'll have to either grow up, or leave.

Of course, if this is too idealistic, and it turns into a shitstorm of crybaby bullshit, then we might have to implement some changes, but that's not the vision we have for the forums.

The website is http://www.gameronfire.com/

I have an offical blog there, which can be accessed @ http://www.gameronfire.com/index.php/blogs/magx01

So, come check us out, join the forums, and help us grow. Keep in mind, the place is still under construction, and things are still being sorted out, but it's basically fully functional at this point in terms of forums and such, but there is plenty of work to be done yet on the content and infrastructure implementation side of things. The admin/webmaster, Tyler, seems to have a good vision for the site, so I have much confidence in it and him. Also, he's looking for staff, so feel free to apply if you feel you would be an asset. You can do that on the website itself, or in the forums.

What I Have Been Up To.

Well, I have been up to some fairly big things, at least, I consider them to be so in the little microcosm of my world. I'll do these numerically:

l) I am now on staff at a gaming website. I'll put up a post on that momentarily.

EDIT: That post it now up. See HERE

2) It appears that I am going to be writing a monthly corporate newsletter for my buddies' business, as well as editing and proofing their written proposals and other such documents. I was given their current proposals to look over as a sort of test run, and, having submitted them to him tonight, I think he's going to be pretty happy with what I did :)

And if he's not.....I'll kick him in the balls and make him cry :P

Bye for now.

Game Character Interview: Mario

This is a new blog series, in which, I, magx, interview different game characters, and get the behind the scenes information we all want to know. What drives them? Who are they? What do they do in their off time? Who are the people behind the beloved characters? In this series, we finally find out.

So, for the first edition, we're going to start it off with a BANG, as I have secured an interview with the ever present, beloved mascot of video gaming, Mario!

So, without further ado, let's get the the questions, shall we?

Editor's Note: This interview contains much foul language. Reader discretion is advised. This is no joke.



magx: So, Mario, before we begin, I just want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I'm going to try and maintain a calm, neutral demeanor, but I mean.....wow, you're freaking Mario, man! [pause] Okay, okay. I'm collected. So, yes, thanks for sitting down with me today.

Mario: It's a me, Mario!

magx: Yes, but actually, as we spoke about, this series of interviews has the cha-

Mario: That's a so nice!

magx: Uh......Mario? We're actually looking for an out of character interview here. So please, if you would kindly drop character, as much as we love it, we'd be much obliged.

Andrew Dice Clay: Ah, fuck, finally. That's a fuckin relief, you know what I mean.

magx: Uh.....you're.......Andrew Dice Clay?!



Andrew Dice Clay: You're fuckin surprised? What the fuck, I thought it was obvious? Where'd you think I'd been all these years?

Editor's Note: For those unfamiliar with Andrew Dice Clay, see the following video:



It's a minute or so long clip of Mr. Clay (sorry, Diceman) on CNN, telling off the reporter. His comedy routines can also be seen on youtube. To sum up his act, it's very vulgar, misogynistic, racist, and all around raucous.

magx: [long pause] Well, okay.....ahem....Alright, so I guess we'll get started. So, Mr. Cla-

Andrew Dice Clay: Andrew, please, or Diceman, none of this Mr. shit, you know what I mean? [he pauses to light up a cigarette]

magx: Okay, sorry about that, Andrew. So, please, explain how you went from the comedy stage, selling out Madison Square Garden, to playing perhaps the most beloved character in all of video gaming?

Andrew Dice Clay: Well, that's pretty easy. I was backstage after a show, getting my dick sucked, you know, I mean, this chick was really working my shit, you know? So I blow in her hair, and as I'm lighting up a cigarette, I hear this little voice. I look up, and there's this little Jappy yappy in front of me, you know, like 4 foot 2, and he's got a translator with him, and next thing I know, he's offering me this gig.

magx: So, you decided right on the spot?

Andrew Dice Clay: Well, ya, you know, I mean, I was still the best fucking comedian who ever lived, but my numbers maybe weren't like they were a few years before, you know? And I got this guy offering me a long term deal, big money, and all I gotta do is rescue some fucking mopy idiot from a fire breathing piece of shit once every couple of years? And along the way I get to do mushrooms, and jump on stupid fuckin turtles, which is great, because I hate stupid fucking turtles. I mean, who the fuck invented those useless, slow pieces of shit? I fuckin sat there for thirty minutes once, watching this big dumbass turtle fuck walk from one end of my bathroom to the other. Thirty fucking minutes? I drowned him in the toilet, just for being so fucking stupid.

magx: [pause] Well.....I don't know if I would have drowned him......

Andrew Dice Clay: What are, you some kind of liberal pussyfuck? Oh, save the turtles? They're life too? Fuck that.

magx: ….....Okay, okay, well, let's get this back on track. So, Mr. Miyamoto offers you the role of Mario, and you take it. Now what?

Andrew Dice Clay: Well, I started out in some shitty games, donkey kong, and shit, hell, I was even called Jumpman at first. Then, in '83, I get this retard brother and we have to save New Yor City from these little fucks running around the sewer. At this point, I'm wondering what the fuck I'm doin, here, you know? Like, I'm ready to stomp that little Jappy yappy into the ground, money or no money. Fuck this shit.

magx: But then Super Mario Bros. happened.

Andrew Dice Clay: Ya, suddenly, I'm running free through these trippy world, doing shrooms and shit, rescuing this fucking broad, who doesn't even give me any by the way, so I have to take it later on, you know what I mean? She wanted to quit the first time, and go to the cops, but I set that bitch straight. So, anyways, there was the piece of shit second game, but then the third one was awesome. I mean, I'm traveling all over the place, I'm on airships, I'm so high everything looks like it's gigantic in the one place, I mean I'm just tripping out, you know? [pauses to light another cigarette] This is a pretty good gig.

magx: And then you get a dinosaur.

Andrew Dice Clay: And then I get a dinosaur. You know how much the broads love that fuckin tongue? I mean, I was getting pussy before, but now? Fuggedaboutit! Even that frigid bitch couldn't refuse anymore, at least, not behind the scenes. Sure, in the games, she's still little miss innocent, making me cake in Super Mario 64, but you know what happened backstage? I ate that cake off her tits and she did a line of coke off my balls, and then I used that dinosaurs tongue on her for three hours. It was fuckin beautiful, I mean, I'm having the time of my life, you know what I mean?

magx:Ya....it sounds like it, although I have to say, a lot of my childhood illusions are being shattered here.

Andrew Dice Clay: Hey, everybody has to grow up sometime, you know?

magx: True enough. So, tell me, what's your favourite Mario game?

Andrew Dice Clay: Super Mario Sunshine was a lot of fun. I loved playing with my hose.

magx: [pause] Of course. So, anything you want to say to the fans before we end this......rather.....illuminating interview?

Andrew Dice Clay:Ya, go fuck yourself.

magx: Great. Well, thanks for the interview, and we hope to see yo-well, Mario, soon.

[End of Interview]

Well, there it is. For better or for worse, that's the real Mario, folks. I think I am going to need some time to digest it all. I mean, that was one of my childhood heroes, and to know that, this whole time, it was really Andrew Dice Clay behind that smiling face.......I don't know. I think this Mario fan is disappointed. Be sure to let us know how you feel in the comment section.

The Purpose of Life

I read a post over at What Worries Jeff Dee? dealing with life, and the purpose of it.

What is the purpose of life? Is there purpose in it? If so, is it subjectively or objectively determined?

Well, if The Merovingian is correct, purpose is merely a label ascribed to the relationship between cause and effect, which means that the "purpose" of which people speak is merely a deterministic outcome linearly based on caual factors.

Or, he and I, as well as the overly pretentious Architect, are full of shit :P

In all seriousness (sorry, just re-watched the Matrix Trilogy), I'm of the opinion that there is no purpose inherent in life.

From an evlutionary persspective, our main drive is to procreate, and, psychologically, we have a heirarchy of needs (Maslow, was it?)....but purpose?

Not the way I see it. There is no purpose. It just is, and it is up to us to define one for ourselves, if we choose to do so. Does this depress me?

No, but suppose I can understand why religion is so attractive ;)

The Atheist Experience: Global Warming Denial and God Belief

The Atheist Experience: Global Warming Denial and God Belief

The Atheist Experience blog has been updated with a post regarding Rush Limbaugh, who, after identifying himself as a creationist, stated, "I simply cannot accept the fact that we would be created to do things that would destroy our environment..."  (apparently he has never heard of pollution, industrialization, holes in the ozone layer, forced extinctions, and the (egregiously!) fallacious nature of arguments from incredulity)

Don, who posted the blog, went on to postulate why it is he feels that the religious are the most vocal when it comes to global warming denial. For me, the issue is not one of motivating factors in the denial (one of which religion may be) but rather, the denial itself, and how it comes to pass. The unfortunate thing here, is, religious or non, most people seem to come to decisions regarding these sorts of issues based not on the actual science, but what they hear in the media and read on the internet/hear from friends.

A few convincing soundbytes and it's over, which is really sad, and must be inordinately frustrating for those hard at work on these issues.

Sadly, I was one of these people for a while there....so I can understand how it easy it to fall into the trap. The important thing to remember is that the science should speak for the science. Analyze the data yourself, be critical of the methodology and the concluisons but go to the data itself, not an intermediary.

Go the the source, folks, go to the source.

Atheists Kill Children!! UPDATED!!

I had a particularly distasteful exchange with a youtube user by the name of MaIcoImZieI, who left the following message on another theists' channel.

First, he said this on mysticalforest's Channel:

"It's sad to see that so many people believe Charles Darwin, Evolution, 'Scienfitic Facts' and don't try themselves to find out what is truly behind this magical life."

LOL! Misguided and sad as it was, I at least derived a bit of a laugh from it.

But then, he said this:

"Yesterday an Atheist man killed his two children in my city. Shows you what people are capable of once they have turned their back to God. Stay strong!"

Well, I HAD to respond to that nonsense. So I sent him this:

" I really would like to know if you are actually positing the ''turning of one's back to god" as the cause for murder?


I'm not here to bash you or argue with you. I have no issue with you being theist, at all. But I do have an issue with this partciular statement, and honestly, you should as well. I mean, the flaws in this are incredibly self evident, so for you to say it means you either remain willfully ignorant of them, or honestly haven't thought this out.


Honestly, do you see the major flaws in such a statement? I will gladly inform you of them if you ask, but I truly want to know if you can figure it out for yourself.


And if I am coming across as condescending, that is not my intent. It's just that this is a fundamentally and obviously flawed statement.


And it's also not fair. You guys are demonizing an entire group of people, and that's not right."

And he comes back with this:

"You know very well that when people do not understand the value of life, they will do anything they want. Are you saying that if this man would have known God, if he would have known the value of life, if he would have had any understand of morality, he would still have killed his children? NEVER!"

So, I respond back, and demolish his line of thinking:

"You avoided my question. And you also made the same fundamental errors. I guess I have to fill you in on what they are:


1) Generalizations. This should be obvious. You cannot extrapolate from one incident and apply it to a whole group. That's like me saying that all Chrstians who follow the god of th ebible are against abortion, or gay marriage. You and I both know that is not correct, but if I were like you I could point to the Westboro Baptists and say ''Well, this is what happens when you believe in that god."


Hitler was a professed Christian. Do I assume that Chrstianity leads to genocide?


I hope you can see how that's faulty logic.


2) What exaclty is that claim based upon? Do you know for sure that was the reason he killed his children? What about mental illness? Or any number of other extraneous and concomittant factors? From where do you draw this conclusion?


3) You say god as though everyone believes in the same god as you. Presumably, you are a christian. What if this man believed in a god, just not the same one as you? Would you be saying that he did this because he did not believe in the right god, or is it only the total lack of a belief in any god that leads to child murder?


4) Why aren't all atheists murdering their children?


5) What about religious people of all faiths who have murdered their children? What do you have to say for that?


6) "Understanding of morality." Are you saying that one needs god belief to understand morality?


Use the brain you believe your god gave you. Just think about what a horribly nasty, vile thing it was you said, and see how your dogmatic and erroneous belief has stopped you from seeing the incredibly obvious flaws in such a disgusting assertion."

I haven't heard from him since, but he's been on the site.  I half expected him to trun tail and run when faced with coheren thoughts, and it looks like that's what he's going to do.....so typical.

The question is, do I bother with it? I'll update this with any and all new developments. For now, I'll leave it, but maybe in a day or two if I haven't heard back I'll say something....I dunno.

This is a really sad state of affirs here people. Science denial and misconstrual, and beliefs such as ''atheism leads to killing children" existing in 2010 saddens me to no end.

(And yes, I know the whole Hitler being a christian thing is contested. The fact is, he was. Whether or not he believed it or was utilizing it as a means to an end is up for debate, but it's not like I couldn't have pointed to any number of other murdering religious people to elucidate my point to him.)

UPDATE: He got back to me, check out this amazing response:

"People like you will never learn. But he... that makes sense... you believe we came out of a magical Big Bang explosion (before which there was nothing?) and POP! here we are! Of course you wouldn't understand. Do you really think I am going to argue with you if you believe that bullshit? Start thinking for yourself instead of reading books written by others."

What the fuck.

I sent him this:

"You can't be serious. You just can't. If you are serious, wow, you're absolutely stupid. And you're also a coward, because you completely failed to address the point. The last sentence really nails the conundrum. You're either screwing around, or monumentally stupid, and ignorant of the massive amount of irony contained in that one pathetic sentence.

Either way, you're a waste of time."

I was going to try and continue discussing this with him, but come on, it's impossible either way, so fuck it, I decided to be blunt. Enough is enough.

Christianity is Wrong, Disgusting, and Morally Reprehensible

Just think about this for a moment.

God creates us. He creates laws. We break those laws. God sets the penalty for such disobedience. That penalty is death.

He ends up killing nearly everyone.

So, this god character needs to come up with a new plan.

"AHA!," he says, ''I've got it! I'll forgive them!''

...."But first I need a blood sacrifice."

And so he sacrifices himself to himself in order to atone for us breaking the laws he himself created. Now we're all forgiven.....sort of.

Wait just a minute....he sacrificed himself to himself to save us from himself?
Let's let that sink in.

And now we are supposed to view it this as mercy? Why couldn't he just forgive? Or change his rules? Or, you know, see all this coming, since he is supposedly omniscient?

But nope. None of that. There had to be death.

Why?

Just because.

Now go tell your young children that they have blood on their hands. Or should I say on their 'soul'? Someone they did not know was brutally murdered to atone for the sins of their ancestors, for which they somehow carry the burden.

That's fucking disgusting.

EDIT: See HERE to get some more perspective as to why the entire story of christianity is reprehensible- and ridiculous. If, after reading both this and that, you still do not agree, please proceed to click HERE, as clearly that would be the perfect description for you.