To keep my mind of the mess my country is in I recently started playing World Of Warcraft. I am an old gamer. I started with war game and pencil and paper role playing games back in high school. I've played the original Dungeons and Dragons, as well as other RPG such as Traveller. Once I purchased a PC I made the move to computer based single person RPG, such as Bards Tale and the old Gold Box series of D&D. I even got involved in a very early multiperson online RPG on Qlink. I then moved away from RPG and started playing more simulation games and war games.
Deciding I wanted to get involved again I went looking for a good multiperson online game. I tried several, but decided to join Tabula Rasa, unfortunately not many of us did and it end up folding.
Looking for a replacement I decided on World Of Warcraft. Ia casual player who likes to experiment. My main character is a Human Mage GrayRaven, named after a old D&D character. I also have many other characters so I can expereiment with different classes, races, and professions. They all have Raven in the names. As I am experimenting. None have gotten very far, GrayRaven my mage is a level 30, HolyRaven my Paladin is level 23. The rest are in their teens.
If you are on the Kirin Tor server look me up in game or send me in game mail.
23 March 2009
20 March 2009
Leno
The anointed one was on Leno last night. I give a lot of credit to Leno, he kept to his normal format and treated him as more or less just another guest. He even told jokes about the current administration.
The talking heads in the media and trying to make fuss about the bowling – special Olympic joke. While I don’t think it was all that funny, I also don’t see it a big deal. I wonder is the media is just applying their normal over top political correctness, if they are picking a minor issue to criticize knowing that it will blow over quickly without any damage, or if they are starting to turn on him?
I suppose it could be the first reason, but the media normally lets the politicians they like get away with minor, and even sometimes major, gaffs. They also almost never criticize members of the protected minorities.
If I were a conspiracy nut, I might go for the second reason. A carefully thought out plan to criticize some minor issue so if accused of being biased, they can point to it as evidence of the fairness. This of course supposes that the media still tries to project an image of fairness. Anyone one who watched the coverage of the last election should know that media is no longer even trying to be objective.
I must confess I also find the last reason not very convincing. After the overwhelming support given to Obama during the election, for the media to turn on him not would require that they admin they were wrong. I see about as much chance of that as I do his fellow democrats taking responsibility for the economic mess that have created. I have yet to see a Democrat take responsibility for anything.
The talking heads in the media and trying to make fuss about the bowling – special Olympic joke. While I don’t think it was all that funny, I also don’t see it a big deal. I wonder is the media is just applying their normal over top political correctness, if they are picking a minor issue to criticize knowing that it will blow over quickly without any damage, or if they are starting to turn on him?
I suppose it could be the first reason, but the media normally lets the politicians they like get away with minor, and even sometimes major, gaffs. They also almost never criticize members of the protected minorities.
If I were a conspiracy nut, I might go for the second reason. A carefully thought out plan to criticize some minor issue so if accused of being biased, they can point to it as evidence of the fairness. This of course supposes that the media still tries to project an image of fairness. Anyone one who watched the coverage of the last election should know that media is no longer even trying to be objective.
I must confess I also find the last reason not very convincing. After the overwhelming support given to Obama during the election, for the media to turn on him not would require that they admin they were wrong. I see about as much chance of that as I do his fellow democrats taking responsibility for the economic mess that have created. I have yet to see a Democrat take responsibility for anything.
19 March 2009
Mob rule
It appears that the US government has total abandoned the rule of law for the rule of the mob. Talking head in both the popular media and in Congress has been stirring up a frenzy concerning the large bonuses paid by AIG to many managers. They don't care that company has to honor employment contracts.
So now employment contracts mean nothing. They can be disregarded in the "public interest".
Even worse is the response on Congress, a retroactive 90% tax on bonuses. Supposedly written specifically for AIG employees. Does any care to bet that they will find a way to make it apply to other people?
Already we are promising bread in the form of ever increasing public aid. Can circuses be far behind? Perhaps we should emulate the French and set up a guillotine on wall street and public execute those who have offend us? Already one congressmen has called for AIG executives to commit Seppuku (suicide). He now claims he was joking, but people have been arrested for much less blatant actions if it leads to someones death. Of course being in Congress he is above the law. I don't see any congressmen offering to return their pay checks.
So now employment contracts mean nothing. They can be disregarded in the "public interest".
Even worse is the response on Congress, a retroactive 90% tax on bonuses. Supposedly written specifically for AIG employees. Does any care to bet that they will find a way to make it apply to other people?
Already we are promising bread in the form of ever increasing public aid. Can circuses be far behind? Perhaps we should emulate the French and set up a guillotine on wall street and public execute those who have offend us? Already one congressmen has called for AIG executives to commit Seppuku (suicide). He now claims he was joking, but people have been arrested for much less blatant actions if it leads to someones death. Of course being in Congress he is above the law. I don't see any congressmen offering to return their pay checks.
17 March 2009
Gloom
I have not been blogging for a while now. After the election I was just too depressed. How could anyone not see the coming train wreck? Put a liberal socialist president in power backed by a radical left wing congress and watch as they proceed to destroy a country our fore fathers spent over two centuries building.
Jerry Pournelle over at Chaos manner keep trying to remind us that despair is a sin, but I find little to be hopeful for. I am not sure if our elected officials are simply to stupid to see what they are doing to the country or if they simply don’t care. I also am not sure which is worse.
I am sure that eventually things will stop getting worse. People will give up looking for work so the unemployment figures will appear to decrease. Families will get used to going without. Because of all of the money the government will have to print to cover the debts, inflation will make it look like things are getting better. At this point the talking heads will declare the crisis is over. Our grand children will think that the stories their grandparents tell about the good old days are simply fairy tales.
There could be other outcomes. Weaken by the collapse an opponent could do with money what no foe ever managed to do by arms, over throw our government. The new weapons may not be missiles, jets, tanks, or rifles, but bonds and debt. Or perhaps they will decide to take us over by force of arms. If tried today we almost certainly would win, but what about tomorrow? \
Of course the enemy could be not external but internal, a civil war. How far can you push honest men before they say no more? If men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or certainly Patrick Henry where alive today they would rebelling against our government just as they rebelled against the British throne.
With modern weapons how much would be left after such a war? The first Civil War injured or killed 25% of the male population a laid waste to large percentage of the country. All while using primitive weapons. Today we could be much more efficient.
Of course given a few years things might change. Already we are discovering that we no longer can make certain critical components for our weapons systems. Is this loss of knowledge the prelude to a new dark age?
Sorry for the dark thoughts, but unfortunately they accurately reflect the events around me.
Jerry Pournelle over at Chaos manner keep trying to remind us that despair is a sin, but I find little to be hopeful for. I am not sure if our elected officials are simply to stupid to see what they are doing to the country or if they simply don’t care. I also am not sure which is worse.
I am sure that eventually things will stop getting worse. People will give up looking for work so the unemployment figures will appear to decrease. Families will get used to going without. Because of all of the money the government will have to print to cover the debts, inflation will make it look like things are getting better. At this point the talking heads will declare the crisis is over. Our grand children will think that the stories their grandparents tell about the good old days are simply fairy tales.
There could be other outcomes. Weaken by the collapse an opponent could do with money what no foe ever managed to do by arms, over throw our government. The new weapons may not be missiles, jets, tanks, or rifles, but bonds and debt. Or perhaps they will decide to take us over by force of arms. If tried today we almost certainly would win, but what about tomorrow? \
Of course the enemy could be not external but internal, a civil war. How far can you push honest men before they say no more? If men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or certainly Patrick Henry where alive today they would rebelling against our government just as they rebelled against the British throne.
With modern weapons how much would be left after such a war? The first Civil War injured or killed 25% of the male population a laid waste to large percentage of the country. All while using primitive weapons. Today we could be much more efficient.
Of course given a few years things might change. Already we are discovering that we no longer can make certain critical components for our weapons systems. Is this loss of knowledge the prelude to a new dark age?
Sorry for the dark thoughts, but unfortunately they accurately reflect the events around me.
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