The Right Spin

Anyone watching the new Battlestar Galactica on Sci-Fi? I cannot say of any series that I've watched that I've been absolutely enthralled by every episode. And this is just season one! I can't even say that of my favorite scifi series of all time Babylon 5. A good chunk of season one of that show makes me cringe.

But Battlestar Galactica has been gritty and realistic since, well, I'd say the pilot episode but it all started with the miniseries. I wanted to hate this show so much. I never saw the original series (it went only one season, right?) but I knew the gist of it. It felt to me that some of the changes they made for the new series seemed to be done arbitrarily or simply for PC reasons. The most annoying change was the sex change for Starbuck - male to female. This change made no sense to me. Not to mention that it seemed to press some PC agenda of putting more women in the military. My friend Dean noted that the military already had female pilots and didn't see what my objection was. I reminded him that while that was true none were combat pilots. You can see a further discussion of my feelings on women in the military on my old blog. Surprisingly the only person who objected was a man. Every woman who commented (and there were many) wholeheartedly agreed.

Anyway, the new Starbuck. I gotta say I like her. She shed that "bad girl" skin fairly quickly and in a believable way. I suppose one would kind of have to adopt a more team orientated mindset when there are only 47,000 humans left in the galaxy and you are one of 40 or so who must defend them.

I think my favorite characters overall are President Roslin and Commander Adama. I completely understand and appreciate where each is coming from and what each is trying to do. They are wonderfully written and superbly acted. Hell, I'm thrilled to see Mary McDonnell on such as great show. I've had a mild thing for her ever since "Dances With Wolves".

So, if you're not watching this show - What's wrong with you!? Head on over to scifi.com and go to the Battlestar Galactica page. You can watch the pilot episode, "33", streaming in its entirety. This was the episode Dean persuaded me to watch despite my objections and it is an incredibly suspenseful ride. Do yourself a favor and at least watch this episode. If you're not hooked then never look a BSG again. But, if you are, you know who to thank!

Full Spectrum Warrior 2 has been announced! For those of you not in the know Full Spectrum Warrior is a game based upon software used by the U.S. Army to train soldiers for urban combat. In this game you yourself don't actually shoot anyone. You control two squads and direct them though various scenarios toward their objective. Fire control directed by the player by selecting fields of fire and types of fire. Your two squads act accordingly. So, there’s a bit of strategery (heh) involved here.

Anyway, the first was pretty solid, though caught some flack because some felt it was a tad on the dry side what with you not actually shooting anyone and maneuvering your two squads could get a bit repetitive. So, I'm looking forward to the sequel.

So, Midway published a game called NARC in which you play a cop addicted to narcotics which you take in-game as a power-up. And CNN's got something to say about it.

What do I as a blue state Christian conservative think about this? I find it funny as all hell. I'm actually surprised that someone didn't think of this sooner! Do I think it's a good idea? Oh hell no. It's a terribly stupid idea. And not because I'm all for cencoring or anything like that, no. It's just a stupid game design choice and, I'm pretty sure, put in there to make the game seem "edgy". Yeah, it's getting all the bad publicity that Grand Theft Auto 3 did, but that game didn't suck. NARC does.

Additionally, this game is intended for adult gamers - 17+. Says so right on the box. So, if you're gonna get uppity about this then you need to get uppity about ever rated "R" movie ever released. Just because it happens to be a video game doesn't mean it's being targeted at kids. How many kids do you know who can shell out $200 for a console and $50 for a game? I daresay not many. And even if you do I'm sure they have parents. Bottom line, parents should be monitoring this stuff. If you won't let Timmy rent an "R" rated flick from Blockbuster then you should probably make sure he doesn't have this game either. And not just because of the drug content or the "M" rating. The game really sucks. Don't support this tripe.

Now, excuse me as I go kill a hooker in an alley by draining her blood as my scantily clad crazy vampire cheerleader in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. It's rated "M" and I'm over 17 so I get to play it, go me!

Well, I've got two people here commenting on a regular basis (so it seems) and I have no friggin' idea why they are here or how they found this blog. I suspect they may have found it through Dean's but I do not know. But either way I suppose this post is directed toward them.

I've been talking to Lusipher about you and I've been debating whether or not to turn off comments or regulate them somehow. He's noted that many of my responses come off aggressive and that is not my intent though I do admit they can sound that way. I'm sure Lusipher could agree that in real life, face-to-face, I'm quite calm in my discussions.

Here's the thing, its fine to have disagreement and debate. I'm not trying to kill that. However, due to the conservative nature of this site, and the lack of conservative readership (I haven't been advertising much) I don't want this to turn into a "Me vs. commenter" debate. I simply do not want the headache right now. I'm thinking that either I'll refrain from commenting or keep some posts comment disabled. I'm not sure. What do you think is a good idea? Do you even understand where I'm coming from?

Anything?

So, who has heard of EVP? Well, it stands for Electronic Voice Phenomena and refers to the claimed occurrence of "spirit voices" that are said to manifest themselves on audio recordings. Basically you flip on a tape recorder for a period of time and then you play back the tape hoping you pick up voices that shouldn't be there. Often time’s people ask questions as the tape is running and keep silent for awhile hoping to pick up the answers upon playback. All in all I think it an interesting thing.

Unfortunately most people have no idea what it is they're messing with. EVP, Ouija boards (which EVP is the modern version of) and haunted houses are usually treated by those who believe in such things as legitimate ways the dead communicate with the living (or some other variation of that theme). Problem is: How do they know they're dealing with the dead? I mean, scientifically speaking, what proof do we have that these are really the spirits of the dead? I completely believe that something or, rather, someone is there. But when you see the ghost of Aunt Patty how do you know that's really who it is? And if it's not, why are you entertaining the idea of communicating with it?

It seems to me that no one bothers to ask that question. That, somehow, when dealing with a force we know nothing about (outside religion but what paranormal scientist has time for that) we take it on face value that what we see is what we get? That there couldn't be a malevolent force out there itching to screw with those who don't bother to ask such a simple and obvious question. You wouldn't take Larry the used care salesman at his word - why a supernatural entity?

Thankfully, I know what it is all these people are dealing with - demons. Plain and simple. That's all they are. Now, here's an even better question. What do you think would happen if I went up to these people and told them that dead Aunt Patty is actually a demon? A being doing everything in its power to ensure that you do not look in the Bible for your answers. If I told them these things I'm sure I'd be ridiculed away. And guess what, the demon won! It's just that simple.

So, next time you decide to give serious thought into hauntings and other such things remember that you are entertaining demons unawares.

Which is more liberating; Good or evil? I think this is a question many feel they have the answer to but few give it serious thought. "Good!" they answer and they'd be correct but possibly not for the reasons they believe. Few people would say the evil is more liberating but, in turn, many people feel that the restrictions put in place to ensure the triumph of good are themselves an evil. Indeed almost any restriction of any behavior would be labeled by some as evil.

So, what is the defining characteristic of good? What is the defining characteristic of evil? I submit we can know good by form and know evil by its formlessness. Not terribly specific but then I'm asking for a characteristic. Good builds and works within laws. Evil destroys and gives care to no law other than the fact that it must destroy.

Laws are a good thing, yes? But laws restrain. Isn't restraint evil? Isn't it a good thing to be free to do whatever we want? Isn't restraint simply another kind of bigotry, discrimination or hate? The interesting thing about law (and good) is that it's within that restraint we find freedom.

Freedom isn't the ability to do whatever you want whenever you want. That's chaos, that's formlessness. In doing that you're not actually doing anything at all. Good seeks to build. Doing whatever whenever will never lead to that. So, one must be restrained in order to do real good. An architect must obey certain rules to ensure his structure's integrity and strength. And so must we all.

It is evil that is truly oppressive. It lies and promises freedom but its very nature cannot grant that. What freedom is there in destruction? And if it cannot destroy things in the world it has no problem destroying you.

That's why I find the idea of the rebel, the anarchist and the guy who thinks he's so cool because he's seeped it some nameless counterculture such a joke. Why is it such a sin to play by the rules? Why is it so wrong to work within a framework?

Why is evil so much more liberating simply because good gives us form to work within? Thinking outside the box isn't all it's cracked up to be. Maybe that's why it's become such a laughable corporate phrase now symbolizing the system it was supposed to be against?

In Detroit many Catholic schools are going to close in the near future and there doesn't seem much anyone can or is willing to do about it. We need all the schools we can get in the inner city so this is obviously an issue.

Well, I was watching Fox 2 news this evening and they talked about a similar problem that was addressed in an "unconventional" in the south (Alabama I believe they said). Long story short, since parents and the parishes couldn't afford to pay for the school themselves they reached out to the communities. Local businesses, Jews, Protestants and non-religious folk recognized the need for these schools and donated the cash to keep them open and have been keeping the cash flowing for some time now. These Catholic schools are no longer in danger of closing. Now, some think this approach will work in Detroit. I tend to agree. What I have a smidge of a problem with is the notion that this idea is unconventional. It's anything but!

Anyone who knows anything about how the public school system first began will recognize that this is how it all began. Some 200+ years ago nearly all children were home schooled. They received both their religious and academic education from their parents and family. However, communities began to recognize that some families couldn't afford the books and materials needed to do this. So, said communities got together, built a small school and paid for the materials necessary to educate these unfortunate children. Except then that education did include a religious (see: Christian) education, as they would have gotten at home.

Since that time religion has been pushed out and money pumped in. We're spending more money now on education than we have in our entire nation's history yet grades and testing scores continue to plummet, especially in the inner city. In Detroit each student is budgeted roughly $23,000-$25,000 a year for their schooling. Are you telling me this exorbitant isn't enough? That we need to spend even more money? No, money isn't the issue. There's plenty to be had by all. But try running for public office and saying that!

So, this "unconventional" solution that has been discovered is anything but. It's simply a return to the way it all used to be done.

Here Dean seems to think I attacked him personally in regard to his feelings about Islam endorsing the killings of "infidels". I'm pretty damn sure I didn't but, I could be blind. I thought I was being quite fair overall but... hell if I know. I posted more of my feelings on Dean's blog because I consider Dean a friend and thought I'd spill more there.

Steal something from Dean's blog. I am completely devoid of any original ideas right now so, when I need something good, I can always depend on Dean.

So, he has this interesting post up on the whole Muslim "kill the infidel" thingy. I know that in the circles I travel that most people in them think the Koran pretty much states its okay to do this. 9/11 didn't do too much to change this perception. Likewise there were always Muslims who protested saying that the Koran doesn't say anything like that.

What's my opinion? I don't really have one. It's nigh impossible to find an English translation of the Koran and what is available I find suspect. A metric butt ton of textual criticism has been done to the Bible but the same simply cannot be said of the Koran. So, a lot of what I've seen thus far seems to be either overly hostile or overly favorable to the text. Heck, I don't like books that are overly favorable to the Bible to the point that they don't give differing views (like the JEPD/Mosaic authorship of the Torah) the serious time they deserve.

I do, however, trust Dean enough to believe him when he states he feels that the Koran doesn't endorse the killing of said infidels. But, as I said, I'll hold off my own verdict until I can get a reliable English copy of the Koran.

With all that said Dean has several links from a Koranic scholar that supports his view. Should be good reading. I also share the feelings Dean expressed with:

...I will take the word of practicing muslims about their faith over the word of members of competing faiths...

I share this feeling in regard to other faiths and my own. So, when some uppity know-it-all tries to throw Biblical verses at me to attack my position on an issue I take it with a boulder sized grain of salt. Who are they to tell me what my faith really means? So those of you why try that trick with me, consider yourself warned. Unless you're a practicing member of the faith don't pull that crap with me because it will only give me cause to suspect your opinions even further. Tell me what you believe, not what I should believe.

Probably my favorite game series of all time is MYST. I cannot get enough of the setting. That's right - setting. I suck at puzzle games, not that there are many out there to begin with. MYST's core gaming element is puzzles. And, as I said already, I suck at those. But boy do I love the story! That's why I'm saddened to know that the series is coming to and end. MYST 5: End of Ages will be the final MYST game. Happily, unlike MYST 1-4, this one will be completely 3D real-time, as opposed to prerendered. It will be using an updated version of Cyan's Plasma Engine, which was used to create URU: Ages Beyond MYST (and RealMYST... I think).

So, now I anxiously await the arrival of this final chapter at the end of the year. It is with both glee and sadness I will greet this final adventure. And age will have truly come to and end.

I've asked my friend, Lusipher, to start posting here. We disagree on many things without being disagreeable with one another and I consider him a good friend.

So, you people who think I'm an intolorant bigot can suck it!

I'll try to get him to post something soon. Ooh! Maybe we can be the blog version of Hannity & Colmes! Although, I find Sean Hannity annoying and, while I often disagree with Allen Colmes, I enjoy how he approaches and discusses issues.

Can't really say the same of, Lusipher...