This is the coolest thing I have seen all day

I just don't have the words to do this justice.





Yes that is President Barack Obama in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader.

How to write fiction

I have a fairly strong desire to make a living as a writer. Specifically, as a fiction writer. So, you may ask yourself, how does one become a successful writer of fiction? Well, obviously as a hopeful writer, I haven't quite figured that part out, but I do know one or two things about writing. The most important part of writing is writing when there is nothing you want to say. when you don't have an idea how to finish that story, let alone begin it, that is the moment when it is imperative that you pick up the pencil, keyboard, or whatever and write. The scariest thing for a writer is the blank page, so throw some words on it and maybe it gets a little less scary. This ties in to the second big tip I have learned the hard, hard, hard way. It is always easier to revise than to write. Now, let me clarify. The beginning bits of revision are infinitely easier than the beginning bits of writing. the stuff towards the end of the proccess gets a little more sticky. Nevertheless, you will always be happier revising a long story that needs to be shortened than you will be trying to get your three pages into five. So how does this tie in with my other posts on video games and the horrors of the real world? I have no idea.

Alienated youth? I thought we invented that.

I just finished watching "Rebel Without a Cause." I had forgotten how great it was. The script is a little dated, but Dennis Hopper is in it, so I guess that sort of balances out. Overall, I think that it is a beautiful representation of the desperate measures people will go to, when they think they don't have anything to lose. Jeebus, there's something about trying to figure out what life is all about, when you don't have any positive role models. Mostly, it's just a really good movie and I recommend it to everybody.

Easy Villians

I don't know if some people are evil or just very very confused. There is the recently un-excommunicated bishop who denies the mass murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust, believes that women can only approximate intelligent thought, and that the US planned the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. While there are weird little oddities about the attacks of September 11th, there is no compelling evidence that the US was responsible, women are easily capable of the same idiocy or brilliance as a man, and there is a mountain of evidence to demonstrate without a doubt that the Nazis were capable of incredible evil under the influence of one frightened little madman. I find it surprising that an educated Catholic priest is capable of believing these terrible and destructive things despite an abundance of evidence that contradicts him.

Another of my new favorite people is the Iraqi woman who engineered the rape of more than 80 women. Why would someone do something so vile in a society that demonizes a raped woman as a fornicator and adulteress? Well, Samira Jassam orchestrated the rape of more than 80 women so she could convince them that a martyr's death would cleanse them of their shame. I was going to write a tidy little summary, but I am too disgusted with my species right now.

Killzone 2, more like I-need-you-to-validate-my-decision-to-buy-a-PS3-Zone 2

Look, I own an Xbox360 and a Playstation 3. I generally prefer to game on the 360, but that is just because most of my friends use the 360. I want to play games on my PS3. I picked up Little BIG Planet, so I could play it on my PS3. I just don't get the idiots who think that they need to defend every single f-ing game on the PS3, no matter how big of a stinking pile it is. I still don't understand the mentality that every criticism of your chosen system, or the games on it, constitutes a biased attack on that system, you personally, and your mother. There are things about both systems that bother me. The latest bullshit about Killzone 2 is hilarious though. There is a (currently) 290+ comment thread on CVG just full of idiots. Despite my general dislike for G4, I think you should check out this rant by Adam Sessler, the only shining star on that network.

I cannot wait for this game!

Imagine yourself as the Rocketeer fighting flying-saucer robots in the future. I'll let you think about that for a minute, while I try to figure out this embedded video thing.



When that's done, you might want to check out a few more of these.

There is something wrong with us.

How could Xbox Live let me down like this? For the record, the horse armor is a gigantic waste of money. It accomplishes nothing, and I am ashamed for my people.

[Updated to clarify for the non-video gamers]

No easy villians; no good guys

Well, things are about to get interesting in the Middle East. I am no friend of Hamas. I think they are a bunch of religious whack-jobs who relish the idea of murdering the sub-human Jews. I am also wary of Israel. I think they are a bunch of religious (but slightly more secular) whack-jobs who relish the idea of murdering the sub-human Muslims. I am aware that neither side is as evil as my pat description, but neither side is the innocent victim both claim to be.
I know what you are thinking, you imaginary audience, you are saying to yourself: "Finally, someone who understands this entire Middle East thing. We should convince this wise man to put an end to this conflict. Man, I want waffles."
I hate to crush your fragile dreams, but I don't have any waffles.
[Update]
I just want to clarify that the butt of the joke here is my dumb ass. Also, I still don't have any waffles.