tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-147314222024-03-07T01:41:24.723-08:00Zombie HomunculusWhatever flotsam and jetsam of the web that I collect from the polluted rolling waves of the surf.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-25875969518384746392012-04-16T17:45:00.004-07:002012-04-18T12:35:05.595-07:00Mass Effect ending continuedJust attaching a link to a funny forum thread re: the ME3 ending...<div><a href="http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/355/index/10669892/1">http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/355/index/10669892/1</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Edit re: the new ME3 "clarification" endings.</div><div><br /></div><div>After I wrote the cathartic exercise of my previous post, I was ready to move on. Then, I discovered that they're releasing clarifications in a DLC in June. There are a few issues here: 1) clarification v. new ending, 2) was this planned all along?, 3) 3 months ~ is that really all the time that you need?</div><div><br /></div><div>1. I agree that the way to handle this is a clarification, not a new ending. The damage is already done, both to the narrative coherence of the plot and to Bioware's reputation for excellence. EA's reputation can hardly be damaged more... Trying to "fix" an ending is not going to undo that damage and in fact might only compound it by turning the story into a caricature of itself ~ something of a zombie with scotch tape on the corners of its mouth to simulate a smile. Cynically, the best business decision is to cut the losses and salvage that which is not broken.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Conspiracy theorists have forwarded the argument that Bioware/EA intended to make the "best ending" a paid-DLC after teasing everyone with a speculation-prompting one, and only changed it to a free-DLC "real ending" when a consensus emerged that the included ending was in fact a "shitty one." I'm a huge cynic and I've seen companies do some bone-headed things before, but I'm inclined to disbelieve this. However, in issue three below, there may be support for this argument.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. The DLC is scheduled for June. That's like 3-4 months at the most after this "RetakeME3" story broke. That seems to be a very short time frame to write, produce, and animate meaningful "clarification" endings. It would be impossible to create a new ending in that time frame. In addition, the voice actors have apparently not received any request to do new recordings. Therefore, if the new "clarification" endings are well-conceived and smartly produced with dialogue and player interaction, it would support a conclusion that the endings were in the can all along. If so, Bioware has got a lot of 'splaining to do regarding why the endings weren't implemented in the release. Time constraints (at best)? Paid DLC plans (at worst)?</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, it's not worth speculating any more about something that hasn't happened yet, but it will be interesting to see what they pull out of their @$$3$ within the next 2 months.</div>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-15396263138451855822012-04-05T22:34:00.002-07:002012-04-05T23:21:16.753-07:00Mass Effect Saga endsEven before I started playing Mass Effect 3, the "final" installment of the popular Mass Effect series from Bioware, I had seen the rumblings of discontent about the ending. I'm just writing to etch my preliminary impressions.<div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">I just finished playing the game, and I had a lot of fun (once you accept some of the landmines and necessary evils of its particular genre/conceits). I certainly thought it was better than Mass Effect 2, and I felt it was technically better than the original Mass Effect. There was a lot to like.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">From here on out, I feel compelled to say there are possible SPOILERS, although I will try to avoid them when possible.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">...</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">Before I continue, I watched a couple of Youtube videos because I wanted to make sure I hadn't gotten the worst ending or something, and that my experience was, in fact, representative.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">These included: </div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">"<a href="http://youtu.be/7MlatxLP-xs">Mass Effect 3 Ending: Tasteful, Understated Nerdrage</a>": a stunningly long, but surprisingly well-composed critique of the ending with relevant background and some cogent criticism.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">"<a href="http://youtu.be/4H_A7SeawU4">Mass Effect 3 Ending and Why We Hate It!</a>": a short but fairly effective nerdrage that must be taken with a grain of salt.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div><b>1. Disconnect between the experience of the game and the experience of the ending.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">I'm no English major, but I do enjoy good stories in any number of media. But my initial impression was that the ending was, in layman's vernacular, "lame." It just felt broken, like I had just spent dozens of hours on three games in the past 8 or so years, and the journey ended with a whimper. <span style="font-size: 100%; ">I like a happy ending as much as the next guy, but it's fine for a complex story to have a complex ending or tragic ending. Sometimes, that's what the story demands and I'd be the last to second-guess it.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Therefore, I don't think my problem is with the tone or content of the ending, as much as it is with how far in left field it came from. </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">The whole series of games seemed to be built upon how you dealt with the NPCs both in and out of your party. </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">But the ending involved NONE of those NPCs, and instead focused on what I had assumed to be, in most senses, a MacGuffin (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin">def'n</a>) ~ the magical "Crucible." So it seemed that all of the fun I had with my imaginary friends was meaningless, and I was forced to surrender those experiences to the usurpation of what had been until recently an almost transparent entity.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">From a plot-specific standpoint (spoiler alert), this ending reminded me very much of the series of books starting with "The Reality Dysfunction." I can't remember the details since I read it so long ago, but it had an ending where the universe has gone to heck in a handbasket, and the solution was to interface with some god-like entity to "magically" solve the problem. The reason I bring this book series up is because, while I didn't like that series all that much, at least I respect the resolution because the final book really led logically to that conclusion. Hence, perhaps why ME3's was "lame" to me was because the game did not lead logically to the conclusion provided.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div><b>2. Technically lazy</b></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">After all the paths and all of the possible permutations that I had imagined for the ending, all of that was stripped away into three possible choices. After all the awesomeness of the previous games, I was expecting some great story telling with lots of different paths. But no. I got three choices.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">Fine. Three choices. I don't care anymore if that's the way you want to end it, but tell me more about the ramifications of those choices! Let me (1) decide meaningfully between them (give me a coherent explanation of how it works and what it will do), and let me (2) see what becomes of the friends that I have made along the way (show me what actually happens to the people I care about).</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">It's just sad that after all the work I put into my character and developing the relationships with my party NPCs, the choices I am presented with are completely divorced from that central focus of the games.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div><b>3. Poor reward after 3 games and many many hours</b></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">This criticism is the least reasonable. But because the impression is both real and a bit unreasonable, it will probably be the best understood.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">I really liked the games. I'm a story guy, and as long as the gameplay isn't terrible, I can take it as long as I'm rewarded with a good story. But the end of ME3 did not reward me with a good story. The ending I got was a paradoxical Frankenstein of being the agent of cataclysmic change melded with the futility of trying to guide that change along the lines you desire. The world changes in its own way, and doesn't take my Shepard's desires into account. Well, screw you, too, world.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">If the writers want to end it this way, that's their prerogative, of course, but I don't have to like it. And if I don't like it, then maybe I'll think twice about buying the next game.</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">Anyway, what a fun game. In the end, too bad.</div>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-38037348087711667602012-02-12T10:49:00.000-08:002012-02-12T10:50:37.630-08:00What some dude sees in Jeremy LinI don't want to lose <a href="http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/2012/02/what-i-see-in-jeremy-lin/">this article on Jeremy Lin</a>, either, so I'm posting it here.<div><br /></div>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-69182888763784475152012-02-11T16:03:00.001-08:002012-02-11T16:08:53.273-08:00A very interesting peek behind the Model Minority storefront.<div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">Please read, "<a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/asian-americans-2011-5/">Paper Tigers: What happens to all the Asian-American overachievers when the test-taking ends?</a>"</span></span></div><div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></span></div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">I love this article, because it voices and looks at some of the obvious inconsistencies in the Asian-American model minority narrative. Say what you will about the tone and some of the conclusions, but the overarching questions and in-depth look are really revealing. I feel like the author gave voice to a lot of the disharmony in the Asian-American experience.</span></span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div><span ><br /></span></div>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-46565367032054211482009-09-16T19:43:00.000-07:002009-09-16T19:53:10.077-07:00Multicultural class essay draft introI have an essay due in mid-October and I started writing it just now. I was playing a game with inserting as much sexual tension as I could without it being vulgar or obvious, but I'm pretty amateurish. Anyway, I thought I'd memorialize it here. BTW, this is a true story.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;"> “Where are you from?” The pretty Italian girl has just handed me my pistachio and stracciatella gelato. In an instant, years of experience in America’s “melting pot” flash before me. In her blithe innocence, she has no idea what she has wrought. We are in Italy’s lake country, far from the international tourist areas like Rome and Venice. In those places, the address would have been “arigato.” But here, in a Continental vacation spot, this girl probably doesn’t see many Asians.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> I consider giving her the answer she wants; it would be so easy! But something in my id refuses to be labeled so easily. “I’m from California,” I defiantly say, as if it were a lie. Consternation furrows auburn eyebrows as she struggles with her English vocabulary. Now I feel intense regret at having despoiled her beatific countenance for my own pride. “What you really mean is, ‘what is my ethnicity’?” – relief and an eager nod. “I’m Chinese,” I concede as any vestige of principle deflates. Now her confusion fades and I can sense her take my existence and place it neatly in a China box. I feel shame at having taken the easy path, but what right do I have to torture her well-meaning curiosity into a trip to the internment camps and ghettos of America? All I wanted was a gelato, and now between the oppressive August heat and acute awareness of my “other”-ness, the confection seems a little wilted.</span><br /></blockquote>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-87364612964948335332009-07-10T16:18:00.000-07:002009-07-10T16:46:40.671-07:00The connection between latchkey kids and grass-fed beefRoger Ebert recently posted an <a href="http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/06/raising_free-range_kids.html">article on how growing up in America</a> has changed from the Leave it to Beaver days of unsupervised neighborhood havoc to an "overprotective" world of fear, disease, and crime. This topic had recently been in my mind in the last few years as my niece and nephew were born and grew. There have been so many changes in raising children since I was young! Helmets are no longer optional; child seats, too. Latch-key kid is basically a dirty word now, whereas nearly all of my friends were such.<br /><br />My mother initially thought that maybe things haven't changed as much as I seemed to think. Her opinion was you have to determine the safety of children individually based on their level of responsibility. She felt that my sister and I were trustworthy enough to be left in charge of the house without getting into trouble or burning the place down. She was absolutely correct that a couple of squares like us would just return home and watch Scooby-Doo reruns. Bless her, she's right. But despite the truth of her words, things have changed.<br /><br />While the basic rule, that children's supervision level must be determined individually, remains true, the environment seems to have changed. There is a fear today of random violence that never seemed to be true before. It's most likely just our human nature to imagine each media horror story as happening to our own loved ones and to devise ways to guard ourselves against vivid threats that have little basis in reality, all while ignoring true killers like high-fat diets and lack of exercise. But human nature or no, it seems undeniable that there is an expectation in America that we must guard our children against every threat, from psychopath to man-eating shark. <span style="font-style: italic;">E. coli</span> has never been more vilified.<br /><br />But at what point does this paranoia become unacceptable? At what point do we allow children to decide what level of risk they wish to take?<br /><br />On the first question, I have a feeling we have passed that point already. However, I hesitate to assert my opinion because I have no children of my own. On the second question, there is a strange tension between admiration of the impetuousness of youth and the fear of it. I am inclined to let children demonstrate maturity and reward it with further trust. In any case, I thought Mr. Ebert's article was interesting and thought-provoking.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-63720669349132549112009-07-08T10:43:00.000-07:002009-07-08T12:38:51.204-07:00Reflections on UrumqiThe unrest in Xinjiang recently has revived in my mind some of the discussions I've had in the past regarding Chinese nationalism. I don't mean the Generalissimo Chiang-type Nationalist Party, I mean the burgeoning self-righteousness and pride. Most obviously beginning in the mid-90s, China began pulling herself out of the wallow of state regulation and self-destructive purging. China's cities began to leverage the cultural heritage of entrepreneurship and cutthroat economics under an iron hand of state surveillance.<br /><br />Towards the late 90s, and perhaps most obviously in during the winning of the 2008 Beijing Olympics bid, a thread of Chinese nationalism emerged. This "nationalism with Chinese characteristics" is marked by paranoia, anger over centuries'-old injustices, a sense of entitlement, a sense of "manifest destiny," self-righteousness, minimization of problems in society, and a carryover of imperial-era narcissism (wherein other countries' problems and lessons-learned do not apply to the only "true civilization"). All of these characteristics are foreseeable and perhaps a natural result of an unleashed id, but all should be exposed as irrational and unhealthy. However, each and every one has been cultivated by the Chinese leadership to serve as a yoke upon the populace so that they may channel the emotions of the Chinese populace toward their self-serving goals.<br /><br />I acknowledge that with the unhealthy characteristics, many healthy characteristics emerged as well. Pride, in moderation, leads to joy; hope leads to achievement; unity leads to harmony. However all these beneficial characteristics can be fostered while minimizing the unhealthy ones.<br /><br />In 1999, I spoke with a pro-Taiwan Independence friend of mine, who was confident that China would not risk the anger of the international community during and could not sustain public support for an aggressive invasion of a "peaceful" Taiwan. A Korean friend of mine who has lived in China and I immediately informed her that we believed China would most definitely carry out its threats based on the level of knee-jerk nationalism we saw.<br /><br />The Taiwan issue engages so many of the myths and legends underlying the Chinese psyche. First, Taiwan was taken in the one-sided and tragic Sino-Japanese War; this history triggers the PTSD-like memories of all of the slights and indignities of the colonial era. Second, Taiwan is largely inhabited by and was considered during the the imperial era to be Han Chinese (some Taiwanese will dispute this and claim independence prior, but this post is about Chinese thought processes); this belief triggers romantic notions of thousands of years of Chinese territorial and cultural unity that differentiates Chinese history from barbarian history. Third, strategically-speaking, Taiwan is too important to Chinese "Manifest Destiny" in the Far East to allow off the leash and into U.S. protection; in a sense, China has arrived at the Prom of colonialism a week late and is attempting to dance with the ladies on Bingo night. Fourth, Taiwan serves as one focal point to measure wills against the most powerful nation in the world and allows an objective verification of China's potency on the international stage. All of these factors swirl in a heady mix of self-loathing, self-love, and injured pride and create a potion that robs many Chinese of moderation.<br /><br />Case in point: many Chinese were and still are convinced (based upon conversations I have had) that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_bombing_of_the_Chinese_embassy_in_Belgrade">bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade</a> was a deliberate attack by the U.S. on China for no other purpose than as a display of strength and dominance. They refuse to believe that the U.S. is capable of making targeting mistakes as claimed and reject the idea that the U.S. might not want to antagonize the Chinese people in such a public way when there are any number of options that do not involve political repercussions within the U.S. They furthermore refused to accept the NATO apology (although they willingly accepted monetary reparations). It is precisely this lack of moderation, lack of willingness to consider innocent explanations, and jumping to conclusions that frightens me most.<br /><br />All this brings me to the impetus for writing today. I am no fan of the Uighur independence movement, or for that matter, either the Taiwanese or Tibetan ones either! It's probably some artifact of my upbringing, but I have no desire to see these areas descend into chaos. However, I willingly acknowledge that the fist of Chinese power surrounds each, and as it squeezes, the proverbial sand is trickling out. When the Chinese media shows Han Chinese in rags streaming blood and tears, but neglects to show police action against hundreds, thousands of men, it screams a call to arms to defend the motherland, never mind the reasons. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/08/china.uyghurs.florcruz/index.html">When Chinese mobs run down the streets of Urumqi telling reporters to cease filming, it cries out their shame for what they are about to do for the motherland.</a> The self-righteous claim virtue and hide their actions: but the truly righteous are bold as a lion.<br /><br />Among the lessons of the 20th century experiments in nationalism were the conclusions that submerging oneself in a national cause can lead to atrocities in its name. In short, the utilitarian concepts of ends justifying means have their limits, just as a Kantian mind might instinctively push back when pushed too far. Many willing accomplices of the Nazi regime were later ashamed at their fervor. The <a href="http://morris.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/mcnamara-in-context/?em">late Robert McNamara</a> regreted many of his actions in Vietnam. Latin America has been poorly served by a series of dictators installed to combat communism. Despite this, whether through a belief in superiority to or perhaps just immunity to the problems of other cultures, Chinese seem to think they can avoid these lessons. I know my Chinese friends are optimistic that China will emerge from this police-state era as a vibrant and flourishing socialist democracy. I sincerely hope they are correct. However, I am not an optimist by nature and what I see are entrenched prejudices being harnessed to erect a national mythology designed to enslave the many to serve the few. Unfortunately for Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan, they are "thems" in a country where "us" is very fashionable.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-84432666325584484062009-02-05T11:06:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:36:50.953-08:00Second Thoughts Coming at High SpeedYesterday the local newspapers (Daily Post, PA Daily News) were reporting some of the first impacts of the passage of the high speed rail funding ballot measure. Actually, I got into a huge fight with my dad in October about this, mainly surrounding his contention that people who oppose it are "stupid" and obstructing "progress," whatever "progress" is to him. My opinion then, as it is now, is that the benefits are outweighed by the detrimental effects of the project.<br /><br />From a purely selfish standpoint, I don't know if I would have voted for the project if it were to travel through the Altamont pass in the East Bay, but the current plan to put it through the Pacheco pass in the South Bay really aborted any enthusiasm I might have for it. Proponents hope that they will be able to get stops in their communities to help bring travelers and tax revenue, but the more stops they put in, the less "high speed" the train will be. What's the point of a high speed train that has to travel slow?<br /><br />Coming back to the cause of my post, the newspapers revealed that people along the Caltrain corridor were told that their homes may be taken under eminent domain to widen the corridor to accommodate the high speed rail line. Some of those home owners had not considered this possibility when they had voted yes on the rail line. In fact, some of the home owners had voted yes on the rail line <span style="font-style: italic;">without even knowing</span> that it was slated to be built along the Caltrain corridor. I pity these homeowners and their shortsightedness ~ I only regret that I had only one vote to give to spare them the trauma.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-38963207170331494872008-11-04T09:41:00.000-08:002008-11-04T10:56:38.125-08:00Election morning travailsEvery morning I hop in the car and turn on the ignition. The radio blares as I inevitably forgot to turn down the volume the night before when I parked. Alas, the emanations of the radio are neither the sweet tones of a ballad nor the inspiring driving rhythm of a strong bass line but are the cacophonous babbling of talk show hosts.<br /><br />If you can't tell, I hate talk shows. I hate them so much, I reserve a preset button for the reliably innocuous <a href="http://www.kdfc.com/">classical music station</a>. However, in my restlessness I usually switch around radio stations, sadly suffering from some acute amnesia that blocks out the fact that talk shows dominate morning radio. Being a forgiving soul, I tend to allow them one or two complete sentences before becoming disgusted and continuing my spectrum meandering.<br /><br />Perhaps the show that attracts my ire most is <a href="http://www.live105.com/pages/73921.php">KITS's The Woody Show</a>. Before you ask, I looked up the web page specifically for your convenience this morning as I compose this blog and not because I've ever seen it before. The content of that web page is such eye bleach to me, that I quickly avert my eyes after getting the offensive link. You're welcome. If I could expunge my presets of this show, I would, but unfortunately, KITS is one of the few stations in my area that plays the music I like (although less and less now as the management has tried to attract younger audiences ~ get off my lawn, kids!!).<br /><br />Most mornings, the two sentences I hear are some toilet humor or indignant and ignorant rant on some idiotic happening. Usually they pick some poor odd news article and poke fun at the village idiot. I let them have their "fun" and switch the channel after a sentence or two and shake my head in resignation. Often, I am particularly irked when they comment on legal or political matters.<br /><br />What does this have to do with this election morning? I'm doing my usual channel surf and I hear "Woody" say ~ Why are we not voting? [Whathisface] is not registered and I know this is an important election in like ... Pennsylvania and ... Ohio... [<span style="font-style: italic;">at this point I emphatically push a different preset.</span>] My respect for this morning show has hit an all-time low. I hear them rant and rave about all sorts of issues facing the nation and the community, and this pathetic apathy is the result? Don't bore me with your sophomoric preaching if you can't take 30 minutes out of your lives to do the perhaps ONE REAL THING to change your community for the better.<br /><br />And that reference to Pennsylvania and Ohio completely ignores the state and local issues. I can't believe these people have a show and that anyone actually listens to it.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-23703708755540906212008-09-20T17:12:00.000-07:002008-09-20T17:27:02.177-07:00Polling the divide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJPFXHI5JwDezpISKlbq_6WiJGaiQGZ0yQ_w2fdO44J5984hehrO9y8bhXI68Mtc4sZ7j6mFIUkkSmmtqkQlJA8D0CPOU4GHKxjiGURu84yZpnSWdu7SCFgbzg1P28WO0pqztww/s1600-h/ap_poll_race_obama.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 516px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJPFXHI5JwDezpISKlbq_6WiJGaiQGZ0yQ_w2fdO44J5984hehrO9y8bhXI68Mtc4sZ7j6mFIUkkSmmtqkQlJA8D0CPOU4GHKxjiGURu84yZpnSWdu7SCFgbzg1P28WO0pqztww/s400/ap_poll_race_obama.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248264215555726514" border="0" /></a><br />The AP asks why Obama is in a tight race with McCain when so many indicators suggest Democrats should be doing better (the economy, the unpopularity of Bush, etc.), and provocatively polls white voters. I don't like their poll at all because the questions (Would you describe blacks as "friendly"?) are applied to races as a whole. It's like saying, would you describe water as cold? Some water is cold and some is hot. Some blacks are friendly and some are not. Some Asians are good at math and some are not. Some criminals are cheating lying @$$es and some are not.<br /><br />The problem is, at least some respondents of the poll felt that the form of the poll was acceptable and so we have the results in the graph.<br /><br />My apologies, Blogger.com is not very kind to my images and I'm too lazy to figure it out. But the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race">story is here</a> with a bigger version of the image. The AP writer then concludes that the reason Obama is in such a tight race is because some white democrats and independents still harbor misgivings about voting for someone because they are black - white Republicans are overwhelmingly not likely to vote for a Democrat whether they are white or any other color - and describes the difference as resulting in as much as a 6-point spread in voter polls.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-31684901092573575922008-08-28T11:41:00.000-07:002008-08-28T12:43:52.931-07:00Umbrellas and SmokeThe recent conflict in Georgia has seen an explosion of propaganda and rhetoric on both sides of the newly re-descended Iron Curtain. Perhaps some clever commentator will coin a new term for Russia's indignant flexings, but I will leave that to better poets. Regardless, I hadn't really given much thought to the strategy behind the words being bandied about, but this <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0829/p08s01-comv.html">article from the Christian Science Monitor</a> interprets those words in the context of international ... law is not the right word ... understandings(?) governing the use of force. It's probably better to just read the article.<br /><br />But to encapsulate the story, a few years ago, the UN passed a resolution (or something) that in essence <span style="font-style: italic;">post-facto</span> legitimized the NATO intervention in Bosnia, which originally was not authorized by the UN. It did so by generally stating that the international community must act to prevent genocide, and must do so over the interests of sovereignty. After the international community finished singing kumbayah, it left countries wondering what would trigger accusations of "genocide" and what the limits of this new invade-first-ask-questions-later resolution would be.<br /><br />Well, the Russians have cloaked their military "intervention" in Georgia in the mantle of this genocide-prevention resolution by alleging that the fighting in South Ossetia was "genocide." Now, there are conflicting reports about who started what fighting (with the Russians saying the Georgians began military operations against separatists, and the Georgians saying the separatists attacked first on the urging of the Russians) and there were hundreds of civilian casualties in the fighting.<br /><br />The rest of the article is more about scolding the Russians and highlighting tensions that have arisen than it is about the standards involved so I won't bore you. Regardless of right or wrong in this case, the Russian example has proven that the international standard for intervention is A MESS. Apparently the only clear standard is the old truism: might makes right. In that vein, can the U.N. do anything right?<br /><br />On a separate note, I think it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">hilarious </span>that the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080828/ap_on_re_eu/georgia;_ylt=Attxeg2U1xB8VTr.oJQNG12s0NUE">Russians looked to China for help in backing their play</a> to assist separatists in another sovereign nation. Ummm... Uighurs and Tibetans and Taiwanese? I mean, the general antipathy or at least suspicion towards the U.S. aside, Chinese diplomats have shown one card constantly ~ they will not support any precedent for foreign intervention in domestic security affairs, especially on the grounds of human rights relief. Love 'em or hate 'em, the Chinese are dependable on that.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-24862327786608918182008-08-26T16:28:00.000-07:002008-08-26T16:39:57.922-07:00Obvious, but not?So I have a bluetooth headset. I have no idea how to do more than answer a call, put a call on hold, and hang up on a call with it. It makes incomprehensible beeps at me. Is it telling me it's low on battery? Is there an incoming call? Learning headset beep language is a specialized skill like semaphore or Morse code. You couldn't PAY me to learn what all the different beeps, boops and flashes mean. No doubt someone is fluent in the language of bluetooth headset beeping, but that skill is like knowing Klingon except geekier.<br /><br />So I guess the obvious solution is to have a <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080826/ap_on_hi_te/tec_tech_test_blueant;_ylt=Aub4_Rqmi1jxrT19KXEUECGs0NUE">headset that TELLS you what's happening and understands what you say to it</a>. The question becomes why haven't other manufacturers figured this out before? Is there some reason people wouldn't want this functionality? Is it just too expensive (it is significantly more than a baseline headset)? Perhaps it's buggy?<br /><br />I guess maybe the biggest reason is that if all you do with the headset is to answer calls, you don't need to access all the random esoteric functions all the time and 90% of the extra cost is wasted...Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-41371389524803150352008-08-23T18:03:00.000-07:002008-08-23T18:05:20.524-07:00Pink fishing pole!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0yZ5oPxh3HWLucE_1BfX-QA8e9uyu77-Ch-rmFcOj-M32LP0ACaJsk6AfyxXy4fM_fuhoezUrT8tVM3TKhusg54kKr84cuxqdPjKD-P8gzpL1obvnp7rGykjjIJVS5YYogwLnw/s1600-h/capt.f126d7a38f5c4770bd6a60751c21a0b5.aptopix_barbie_fishing_record_ny133.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0yZ5oPxh3HWLucE_1BfX-QA8e9uyu77-Ch-rmFcOj-M32LP0ACaJsk6AfyxXy4fM_fuhoezUrT8tVM3TKhusg54kKr84cuxqdPjKD-P8gzpL1obvnp7rGykjjIJVS5YYogwLnw/s400/capt.f126d7a38f5c4770bd6a60751c21a0b5.aptopix_barbie_fishing_record_ny133.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237883833775821650" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080822/ap_on_fe_st/odd_barbie_fishing_record;_ylt=Ar2BurnqvMPNI3KgwLdQlFis0NUE">This is awesome!</a> This dude has been fishing with his granddaughter and bought her a Barbie fishing pole. They caught a 21 lb. catfish with it.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-4577620310583476602008-08-18T11:15:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:31:01.049-07:00Numbers on video game studiesHere's an interesting <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080818/ap_on_re_us/video_games_learning;_ylt=AoYgsPjM0n9htRfzW7jqFtOs0NUE">article describing some conclusions drawn from studies of video gaming</a>. It's not as comprehensive as I would have liked, but it does confirm that some skills in video gaming are transferable to real-world applications. For one example, it specifically points out a particular study on laparoscopic surgeons (who use small incisions to insert tools and cameras inside body cavities to perform procedures). The article cites a study author as saying that, "The single best predictor of [the surgeons'] skills is how much they had played video games in the past and how much they played now. Those were better predictors of surgical skills than years of training and number of surgeries performed."<br /><br />Well ain't that a kick in the pants? Anyway, sadly, most gamers are not laparoscopic surgeons. However, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, no? I would think that complicated control schemes and video interfaces would benefit from video game experience in any profession.<br /><br />Beyond complicated controls, I firmly believe that map interpretation, landmark recognition and navigation, and spatial orientation skills all benefit from some types of video gaming as well. The article also points out problem solving and strategy formulation. In this day and age, even social skills can be bolstered by online communities ~ although being the king of dorks might not be the most lustrous mantle...<br /><br />But as the article concludes, it's not all sunshine and roses. Violent fatties.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-79585184948253812692008-08-14T14:18:00.000-07:002008-08-14T14:23:12.401-07:00Asylum from TexasA <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10203342?source=rss">missing Rice University student turned up on the UC Berkeley campus</a> and is suspected of possession of stolen property and other crimes. I know Houston is a $#!thole, but it's still better than living on cans of beans and instant noodles in a 2004 Dodge Neon in the East Bay.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-60724479257664870302008-08-07T10:59:00.000-07:002008-08-07T11:19:53.896-07:00Oh the things you'll seeSo I'm reading some of the recent Fark.com listings this morning and I come across "<a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23528170-details/article.do?ito=newsnow&">Dog swallows two-foot-long stick and survives. Your dog doesn't want stake</a>." I chuckled to myself about how domestication seems to have robbed some animals of their survival instinct. I wondered how many wolves find long sticks on the ground ~ probably on a daily basis; and then how many decide to attempt to swallow said long sticks ~ probably none.<br /><br />Thus convinced of my logical vindication, I continued perusing the listings and came across "<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1042139/Man-choked-death-fairy-cake-eating-competition.html">It was only a matter of time. Man chokes to death during a cake-eating competition</a>." Isn't it funny how the universe will poke you in the ego right when you need it? This dude tries to one-up his friends who have shoved 2, 3 and 4 "fairy cakes" (whatever the <span style="font-style: italic;">heck</span> those are) into their mouths by stuffing FIVE in his pie-, forgive me, cakehole. He collapsed on his way to the "toilets" in convulsions and died at the hospital.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1ckCkm8YI">Fairy-cake fragments. Don't breathe this.</a><br /><br />I guess stuffing your face with too much crap is just part of hanging around with humans.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-86080883990299162132008-08-06T13:43:00.000-07:002008-08-06T13:50:27.536-07:00What happened to their racks?Just a quick note memorializing the disappearance of <a href="http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/">Daily News</a> boxes along my route to lunch. I've been gone a couple of weeks from the lunch scene, but upon resuming my food-seeking treks, I noticed that there were no newspaper boxes along my path on Page Mill Road where there were previously three or more. I was relegated to searching the boxes on El Camino.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-56412488914898271472008-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:002008-07-31T14:58:35.282-07:00Personal Best = Botox InjectionsMark Spitz gets skewered in this <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10052862?nclick_check=1">article by Ann Killion at the Mercury News</a>. Why you hatin' AK? A brother's gotta eat. I will concede: hawking botox injections is a bit of a come-down from winning 7 gold medals in 1972, but if even Ms. Killion seems convinced of Spitz's genuine enthusiasm for his paralyzed face, then good on him, I say! At least he's doing something that excites him. Some Olympic athletes like to parlay their success into motivational speaker gigs or celebrity has-been reality shows or even fodder for med school applications. Even if not the most noble of professions, selling botox to make people feel good about themselves is not nearly as titillating as perhaps getting caught partying in a short skirt without any underwear ~ especially for a 58-year-old dude.<br /><br />There are gems of irony and real humor in the article as well though. I especially liked the anecdote about bullshitting the Russian swim coach into getting all the Russians to grow mustaches as well (nostalgia for the good old days when the bad guys were Reds... although I guess some things never change). But Ms. Killion sledgehammers the last line by tying the new Speedo swimsuit technology (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedo_LZR">LZR</a>) to Spitz's botox.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-58448469032776001642008-07-16T10:17:00.000-07:002008-07-16T11:02:41.663-07:00By Jingo, Chinese Paranoia PonderedI never would have thought I would have a chance to use "jingoism" in my blog twice in one week, although honestly because I hardly ever post more than twice in one week, but this <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jamesreynolds/2008/07/national_sentiment.html">BBC blogger's post regarding his observations on the reactionary paranoia and bellicose nationalism</a> displayed by many Chinese actually reflects some of my own observations. He's definitely put more thought into it than I have.<br /><br />The almost-defiant pride displayed by many mainland Chinese is quite frightening, and it is coupled with what I would call paranoid suspicion of foreigner's motives. They often interpret adverse foreign actions as specially designed to attack Chinese pride <span style="font-style: italic;">in every case</span>. It's as if they believe that honor and "losing face" are sufficient in themselves to explain any adverse action. Any other explanation, such as negligence (on the part of American bombers in Belgrade) or human rights (in the case of Tibet or political dissidents) are dismissed as facades for the true motivation of Western powers.<br /><br />That's the other thing ~ Chinese I've spoken with tend to anthropomorphize (if that's the proper word) the entirety of Western society into a single sentient beast out to destroy their resurgence. I patiently try to explain that Western society is composed of hundreds of millions of people, thousands of cultures and dozens of nations, and collective action on their part is not only improbable but patently ridiculous. Even accepting that intellectually (and many of the Chinese I've socialized with are intellectuals), they nevertheless return to their (seemingly) instinctive Chinese v. foreigner mentality.<br /><br />What I've seen since the 90s is an unbridled growth in nationalistic pride, probably fostered in part by the Chinese government to silence dissent and solidify their position. Tyrants throughout the 19th and 20th centuries have found ultra-nationalism to be a superb tool to ostracize the opposition and justify their methods ~ Napoleon. Hitler. Marco. Hirohito. Hussein. Khomeini. Mugabe. In the transition from Communist patriarchy to Free-market socialists, I can only wonder if China will be able to check its swing into fascist police state.<br /><br />Pride is a cardinal sin because when mixed with other base human emotions, it leads to the other cardinal sins. That is why it is the greatest of the cardinal sins; as Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote, "inordinate self-love is the cause of every sin." What I've observed first-hand is a hubristic conviction that Chinese culture is superior to other cultures and therefore not susceptible to the dangers that history has shown us. Many Chinese I've spoken with see no inordinate self-pride in placing themselves above the other nations of the world, and do not see the irony in nevertheless excoriating the Japanese, British or Germans for doing the same in the past. Such willful blindness is incomprehensible to me.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-81468067749114291812008-07-14T12:55:00.000-07:002008-07-14T19:16:42.335-07:00Finally, another use for my "Extender"When I first "upgraded" *cough* from XP to Vista last year, I was excited about the possibility of streaming HD TV through my house and the unlimited storage space I could harness with my PC. I'm generally fairly satisfied with how that vision turned out. But in the process, I've discovered that I actually dislike most TV programming.<br /><br />Looking at all the programs I've recorded over the last year, I have some operas recorded off PBS, nature shows, a few documentaries about historical figures, and a <span style="font-style: italic;">crapload</span> of "Family Guy." It's actually an embarassing amount of Family Guy. I can't help myself.<br /><br />Aaaaanyway, the end result of my discovery is that although I'm using the Media Center the way I meant to, I don't actually value it that much. Add in some technical and execution faults (response time to commands is SLOW, menus are pretty-looking but often useless to me, I don't have the high speed "n" wireless so I've got wires criss-crossing my living room, etc. etc.), and the overall palate has a bittersweet finish.<br /><br />But!! If I could stream movies from <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aKJRizBCzT74&refer=home">Netflix through my computer and Xbox 360</a>, that would be another happy use. A closer examination of the Netflix FAQ area shows that not all Netflix movies would be available, but rather a "separate, smaller library of 10,000 movies and TV episodes." I suppose it's possible that all 10,000 could be crappy, given the amount of dreck on TV nowadays, but I'm definitely intrigued by the possibilities. I suppose I'll give Netflix a try when they start that service.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-41801892300939097632008-07-14T09:32:00.000-07:002008-07-14T09:50:00.902-07:00It's Miller time!<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/14/anheuser.inbev.ap/index.html">InBev to buy Anheuser-Busch for $52B</a>. The Belgians are coming. There goes the neighborhood. I'm not a huge fan of beer, or alcoholic beverages in general actually, but there are times when I like to throw one back and relax. Honestly, Budweiser is not my first choice if I have to choose "one" to throw back. My understanding is that Bud is an economical choice for multiple throwbacks or particularly large volume consumption. I'm sure it's quite acceptable as bong fuel.<br /><br />Still, A-B is kind of an icon for American culture. A final bastion of unrestrained jingoism: "yeah, it's cheap and tastes like piss, but it's <span style="font-style: italic;">our </span>cheap piss ~ rah rah American flag." As point of fact, A-B has, in recent years, tried to highlight in its ads its American ownership vis à vis SABMiller's South African ownership, and SABMiller has responded in kind with its "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbQRAQ_4Qas">President of Beers</a>" commercial line.<br /><br />Well, that argument now appears moot as the Europeans flex their economic muscle.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-17384275732854502842008-07-02T10:33:00.000-07:002008-07-02T10:44:48.753-07:00Tiki Torch deathsI originally saw the fark.com tag "<span class="headline"><a href="http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/topstories/index.ssf/2008/07/tikitorch_oil_kills_woman_and.html">NJ wins Darwin award for rash of tiki torch oil related deaths. Hair oil called in for questioning</a>" and snickered a bit. I clicked on the link and wondered whether I would be regaled with tales of self immolation or fiery hair-dos.<br /><br />Turns out that people drank the tiki torch oil thinking it was apple juice. The report does mention that the bottle is labeled "Tiki Torch Oil" and carries warnings in English and Spanish, so I'm gonna assume that it is responsibly labeled. And the child that was injured was actually poured the oil as a drink by an adult, so apparently it's not immediately an instance of an attractive danger.<br /><br />Really what's going on here is a cluster of New Jerseyans who don't bother to read labels before ingesting things. The report says the incidents were unrelated, so it wasn't just one person making a mistake that affected others.<br /><br />I mean, FORGET reading nutrition labels for fat and calorie content. These guys don't even read labels for "DANGER: EAT ME U DIE." If it's in the kitchen, they eat it.<br /></span>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-9328566303710931382008-05-23T10:52:00.000-07:002008-05-23T10:56:07.998-07:00Sunscreen: Boon to Bane?According to a "new study commissioned by the European Commission" (can any hack write for AFP now?), <a href="http://real-us.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080523/ts_afp/environmentpollutionspeciescoral">common sunscreens can damage and kill coral reefs</a> even in small amounts. That's just great. So I'm in a tropical area, trying to limit skin damage, and now I can get guilt-tripped for getting in the water. Well, hopefully someone will quickly develop some new environmentally-friendly sunscreens.Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-32763883328876097772008-04-24T15:32:00.000-07:002008-12-10T20:37:18.349-08:00Diet Coke has never been more disgusting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPE7n4F7Fa4nF1bj2f-XHe3f6D9nUetQZ4WKuRhhR6_Gw7Wgf3oGVg3ZydmjmNgywFpkF6r6w8l-V0MAjy08xL5sWTJhGmm_slxp6UEHlPRv56oPdcdFnsZdfAn6C-jNqVm6B34Q/s1600-h/cokec.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192944444151954546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPE7n4F7Fa4nF1bj2f-XHe3f6D9nUetQZ4WKuRhhR6_Gw7Wgf3oGVg3ZydmjmNgywFpkF6r6w8l-V0MAjy08xL5sWTJhGmm_slxp6UEHlPRv56oPdcdFnsZdfAn6C-jNqVm6B34Q/s400/cokec.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/23/ncoke123.xml">1500 Belgians simultaneously dropped Mentos into Diet Coke bottles</a> causing the above scene...</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731422.post-28021846755754180582008-03-27T09:45:00.000-07:002009-05-07T12:14:23.610-07:00Nerdtastic Reference PageSorry for this book-keeping post. Just a reference page for myself.<br /><br />Haunt<br />Demonic Circle<br />Arcane Barrage<br />Hunger for Blood<br />Chimaera Shot<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Red:</span><br /><a href="http://www.wowhead.com/?item=24027"></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Orange:</span><br /><a href="http://www.wowhead.com/?item=24059"></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">Yellow:</span><br /><a href="http://www.wowhead.com/?item=24047"></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Green:</span><br /><a href="http://www.wowhead.com/?item=33782"></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Blue:</span><br /><a href="http://www.wowhead.com/?item=24033"></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Purple:</span><br /><a href="http://www.wowhead.com/?item=24056"></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Meta:</span><br /><a href="http://www.wowhead.com/?item=25897"></a>Dulbeccohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03871743569147589499noreply@blogger.com