LORD HELP ME I'M WEAK

...Yes, I finally signed up for Twitter.

С днем рождения, Тетрис

On June 6, 1984, a Soviet computer programmer created a game that changed everything. Twenty-five years later, we still play it all the time.

Tetris turns 25 today.

An Observation

Every time I post, I drive people away.

Every time Phage posts, he brings people in.

No Massive Explosions or World Chaos

Yeah, seems that the whole Conficker thing didn't pay off like laymen thought it would. Since it didn't turn out like some dumb action movie, with the whole world being locked down and things blowing up, it obviously means it was some big joke and everyone was just blowing it out of proportion like Y2K, right?

I doubt that. Five will get you ten that it'll suddenly open up the floodgates and we'll all be screwed if we're not paying attention.

F Twitter

If I have to hear one more media moron expound on how earth-shatteringly important Twitter is, I'm going to scream.

Now subscribe to my Twitter feed!

Birthdays of Note

Today would be the two-hundredth birthdays of two very historically-important men: Our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, and British naturalist and author Charles Darwin.

If these men were alive today, I'd wager two things: That they'd be appalled at how little we've learned from their lives and works, and that they'd be damn old and not afraid to tell you about it.

Definitely a Recession

From the Kansas City Star: Super Bowl ads are a tough sell as recession squeezes buyers

A week before Super Bowl XLIII, NBC is still in “active negotiations” to sell its last few commercial spots.

That’s why some advertising wags are calling Super Bowl 2009 the Economy Bowl.

This might be the best indication of being in a recession I've ever seen. The biggest advertising day of the year, and companies are scared to buy space.

Come on, it's the Super Bowl, for pete's sakes - buy some ad space, show us you're confident, show us you want our business.

Having a Little Fun

Big Switch May Be Pushed Back

From MSNBC.com: Senate passes bill to delay digital TV switch

The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting by four months to June 12.

The vote is a big victory for the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress, who have been pushing for a delay amid growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready for the currently scheduled Feb. 17 changeover.

Wait, seriously, people aren't ready YET? They've been telling us about this for years already, and over the past year I haven't been able to get away from the constant nagging reminders to go buy a converter box. I even made sure to get the coupon, just so I could be sure that the crappy, cheap 20" TV next to me can still pick something up (and considering I'm living in the city, it's not something I've had to worry much about outside of the switch.)

Yes, I know this is part of the new administration and all, but even I'm not so sure about this. Honestly, people have had a lot of time to get ready, and a few more months probably isn't going to change that. Let's just get it done sometime soon so we'll stop having to hear about it.

The ugly past.

I just took it upon myself to republish a huge backlog of posts here - nearly 300 of them.  I realize, with no small amount of apprehension, that I've said some ugly things, many of them things I now regret.

I feel it would be unbecoming of me to simply delete these posts and act as though they had never existed; no, I think being forthright about it is best.

I know I've made mistakes.  Everyone has.  I also know that trying to deny them will only make things worse.  I think of myself as being a pretty honest guy, and I should live up to that.

Have a Seat, Chris Hansen.

From the New York Times: Report Finds Online Threats to Children Overblown

The Internet may not be such a dangerous place for children after all.

A task force created by 49 state attorneys general to look into the problem of sexual solicitation of children online has concluded that there really is not a significant problem.

The findings ran counter to popular perceptions of online dangers as reinforced by depictions in the news media like NBC’s “To Catch a Predator” series. One attorney general was quick to criticize the group’s report.

Finally - someone comes along to work against the endless tream of OMG AUR CHILLDRENZ paranoia. I'll admit there are some seriously fucked-up people out there, but at least someone's trying to prove it's not all like that.

Now if only we could get those who ARE like that to remove themselves from the Internet, we'd be gold.

Boy, 8, Kills Dad and Man

From MSNBC: Boy, 8, charged with killing two, including dad

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona - Police in this small eastern Arizona community are looking into the possibility that an 8-year-old boy who is charged with killing his father and another man with a rifle had been abused, the police chief said Saturday.

The boy, who faces two counts of premeditated murder, did not act on the spur of the moment, Police Chief Roy Melnick said.

I'm just left wondering when the vultures will descend on this one. This sounds like a prime opportunity for them to re-establish a foothold in the media, now that the election is over.

Doing favors

And now, a message from your local skeptic:

Sylvia Browne

I encourage everyone to put that link on their weblogs, in their link lists, everywhere they can. Go here for more info.

Michael Crichton Dies at 66

From the Chicago Tribune: Author Michael Crichton dies at 66

LOS ANGELES - Michael Crichton, the doctor-turned-author of bestselling thrillers such as "The Terminal Man" and "Jurassic Park" and a Hollywood writer and director whose credits include "Westworld" and "Coma," has died. He was 66.

Crichton died in Los Angeles on Tuesday "after a courageous and private battle against cancer," his family said in a statement.

It's tempting to point up the fact that Crichton had submitted to right-wing hackery and immaturity in recent years... but if it's all right with everyone, I'll just remember him as the guy who wrote Jurassic Park.

A New Name for a New Era

At long last, I gave this place the new name I've always wanted to give it.

The URL hasn't changed, just the name.

Now how much do I need to change to totally revamp this place...?

Still Alive

So, the Large Hadron Collider has been used, and it works. Even better, nothing bad happened. Yes, despite the anti-science wailing of a few morons, nothing bad happened. Not like their doomsday predictions have any basis in reality, anyhow.

Now I'm excited to see what happens.

And Now, To Keep You Up to Date

Here's an update on the Caylee case:

I STILL DON'T CARE.

Thank you.

Tim Russert Dead at 58

NBC’s Tim Russert dead at 58

Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.

Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast when he collapsed, the network said. He had recently returned from Italy, where his family was celebrating the graduation of Russert’s son, Luke, from Boston College.

No further details were immediately available.

Wow.

I turned my TV to MSNBC to check the news, and this is what I saw. This is... unbelievable. I've been watching Russert over the course of the primary season, and for this to happen, and so suddenly, is just a shock.

I'm not sure what to say.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Okay, this isn't political, and there's a reason for that - I'd like to just point this out because it's entertaining.

In regards to the first story, you've got to wonder what kinds of people would do something like this. It's amusing on a base level, yes, but overall it's just... kind of immature.

And as for the second, I have a real love/hate relationship with Japan. I hate them because they suck my wallet dry every month, they turn gibbering fangirls into gibbering pseudo-multilingual fangirls, and they have some SERIOUSLY screwed up societal structures, ideas, and concepts. Then they do something like this, and I can't stay mad at them.

D&D Co-Creator Gary Gygax Dies

From the Associated Press: Dungeons & Dragons Co-Creator Dies at 69

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.

As something of an old hand among the d20 set, this particularly affects me. Odd, because Phage and I were just discussing matters related to the game just earlier today.

Farewell, Mr. Gygax. What you have helped create has shaped the leisure time of many people just like me. Your contributions to the world of entertainment as a whole cannot be understated.