The Outlet

Commentary on Flip-Flopping and the Presidential Race.

2008-07-01T16:18:00.003-05:00

Untrustworthy, two-faced, and/or a backstabber. These are some of the words that come to mind when a politician takes a position on an issue and then takes a complete opposite stance on the same issue. This is known as flip-flopping. Saying that flip-flopping on just one topic, let alone a whole laundry list of them, is detrimental to a politician's campaign is an understatement. It is the equivalent of a breaching of trust between a politician and his or her supporters. A flip-flopping politician is on the same level as a general leading his troops into battle and when the those troops are confronted by the enemy troops, the general either surrenders, says "to hell with it I'm going home", or defecting to the enemy army right on the battlefield. In the case of any political race, especially a race for the President of the United States, the general would be the candidate and the troops would be the candidate's supporters and potential voters of that particular candidate. If that candidate flip-flops on an issue, whether it be one issue or one thousand issues regardless of the essence of that issue, it is not a telling, but a screaming to his or her supporters that you lied to them on an issue that they care about.

The flip-flopping that plagued elections past is in abundant supply in this year's Presidential race between Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL). This commentary is not about who flip-flops the most or about who rightfully or wrongfully accuses the other of flip-flopping. This is about holding the candidates accountable for switching their views and stances on the same issue. The trust of the American People should never be breached. Flip-flopping is a breach of said trust. Both Senators McCain and Obama, who have flip-flopped in this election, need to understand that flip-flopping can and possibly will cost them the presidency. The people, regardless of political affiliation, deserve better than a politician who can not keep his or her stance on an issue consistent. The aforementioned sacred trust is never to be violated. Flip-flopping violates that trust. How can the voters trust either Senators McCain or Obama when they both change their positions on Iraq, the economy, global warming, and oil drilling among other issues?

The presidential election this year will be hotly contested. There is no doubt about it. This election will have ramifications on the value of the U.S. dollar. This election will have ramifications on the price of oil, which determines how much we pay at gas stations. This election will have ramifications on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This election will have ramifications on the economy and our health care. This election will have ramifications on our environment. Senators Obama and McCain understand this well and so do the American People. The presidential candidates know what is at stake and they both know that they can not lose the trust of the American People. Flip-flopping will do just that. It will destroy the credibility of the candidate and cost him the election. The voters will never trust their future to a candidate who has no credibility. Senators McCain and Obama have both flip-flopped in this election. If either one of them hopes to win this election, they need to end the flip-flopping and to be consistent with the promises they make to the people of the United States of America. This election, given what is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, given the state our economy, given the mortgage and home-owner crises, and given how much we pay at the pump is one of the most crucial in history. We need a president we can trust. We do not need a president that turns out to be untrustworthy, two-faced, and/or a backstabber.

Good night and good luck.

Comedian George Carlin Passes Away at age 71

2008-06-23T15:05:00.002-05:00

Source: Reuters

George Carlin, comedian best known for his "7 words" routine which led to a Supreme Court battle over obscenity, passed away at the age of 71 at St. John's Health Center in Los Angeles last night. He died of heart failure. The grammy-winning comic was to recieve the John F. Kennedy's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this fall.

Carlin was an icon among the counter-culture and his theme centered around humanity being a doomed species. He is also an icon in all of comedy. George Carlin will be missed.

The NBA's Boston Celtics Win their First NBA Championship in 22 Years

2008-06-18T14:42:00.002-05:00

The Boston Celtics won their 17th NBA championship last night with a 131-92 pasting over the Los Angeles Lakers in game 6 of the NBA Finals. This was the organization's first NBA title in 22 years and their 17 championship banners are the most of any team in the Association.

Paul Pierce of the Celtics was named the NBA Final's MVP.

Tim Russert of NBC News Passes Away at age 58.

2008-06-13T14:47:00.004-05:00

Source: NBC News

Tim Russert, host of "Meet The Press" and Washington Bureau Chief for NBC News, has passed away at the age of 58 as the result of a heart attack.

Tim Russert in an icon not only at NBC News, but in all of Journalism. Needless to say, this is very sad news. He will be sorely missed.

Senator Clinton (D-NY) to Suspend Campaign According to New York Times.

2008-06-04T18:58:00.003-05:00

Sources: New York Times/NBC News

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) will leave the presidential race on friday and endorse the presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) according to the New York Times. The exact motive for the suspension is unclear, but reports insist that her supporters told the New York Senator to end her campaign for the sake of party unity.

UPDATE: Senator Clinton was pressured by Congressional Democrats to leave the race.

UPDATE 2: Senator Clinton will publicly suspend her campaign in Washington D.C. on Saturday.

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee.

2008-06-03T20:06:00.005-05:00

Source: NBC News

Barack Obama, the Democratic Senator from Illinois, has finally reached the number of 2118 delegates to clinch the Democratic Presidential nomination. Senator Obama is the first African-American to be nominated by a major political party in the history of the United States of America.

Fox News Contributor Liz Trotta Jokes About the Assassination of Senator Obama (D-IL).

2008-05-26T20:39:00.007-05:00

Watch and listen.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is nothing short of vile, dispicable, and an embarrasment to the profession of journalism. If Fox News wants to separate themselves from these comments, then both Roger Ailles and Rupert Murdoch should apologize for the comments, not because people were offended.

Liz Trotta should be fired. Referring to Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) as Osama was alone disrespectful, but if either he or Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) get shot and killed, then Liz Trotta should be held morally and ethically responsible. There is nothing comical at all about the assasination of any human being, especially a politician running for the highest political office in the United States.

Liz Trotta is a sick, sorry excuse of a human being and this sorry episode is a big, brown stain on the underwear of all of journalism.

Commentary on President Bush's Iran-Appeasement Remark.

2008-05-21T19:32:00.002-05:00

*Before I begin, I must apologize for my lengthy hiatus caused by college. Now that I have graduated, I now can return to this blog. Again, I apologize for my prolonged absence.*

If there is one politician who should never be a critic of another politician's foreign policy, that politician would be none other than the 43rd president of the United States, George Walker Bush. Although other politicians and presidents are dubiously known for their bad foreign policies, the foreign policy of our sitting president is nothing short of a disaster. Look at Iraq. Look at Afghanistan. Look at Iran. Hell, look at the Middle East. The fact, the notion, the very thought of President Bush critiquing another politician's foreign policy is not only a sickening irony, it is wrong.

That sickening irony occurred last week when President Bush spoke in front of Israel's Knesset, or legislative assembly, on the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence. During his speech, President Bush equated any diplomacy with Iran to those who appeased Hitler and Nazi Germany. The remark from President Bush was allegedly an attack on Democratic Presidential front runner Senator Barack Obama (IL), who advocates for diplomacy with Iran.

It is obvious that President Bush never went to a civics class. It is obvious that President Bush does not know the difference between diplomacy and appeasement, which are separate terms. Appeasement is giving in to someone to please them. Diplomacy is a stern talk with leaders of other nations. President Bush comparing diplomacy with the appeasement of anything, whether it be the appeasement of a disobedient child or the appeasement of Nazi Germany, is beyond despicable, it is low-class and simply embarrassing to all of the United States. Adding to the embarrassment is the fact that our president got these two different terms confused, as if one is just like the other. Diplomacy does not compare with appeasement. How dare the president compares diplomacy with appeasement. How dare he does this in front of the Knesset on Israel's 60th birthday. This was not an inexperienced freshmen diplomat who said this. This was not the first lady who said this. This was not a civics student who made those remarks. The equation of diplomacy with Iran and appeasement of Iran was from the mouth of President Bush. Our own president made those remarks. The president, who should know better, made that very equation without any shame at all.

Whether this was a direct attack, an indirect attack, or not even an attack against any politician, President Bush is in no position to comment on any foreign policy. This was the same president who waged a war in Iraq that led to the deaths of over four-thousand American soldiers. This was the same president who continued to demand Iran to drop their uranium enrichment program even though they already did so according to the N.I.E. about five years ago. The train-wreck that was President Bush's foreign policy made Al-Qeada stronger, made the Middle East even more of a hell-hole, and gave considerable comfort to Osama Bin-Laden, who is still on the loose nearly seven years after the horrible attacks on September 11, 2001.

Adding to this disgrace is the hypocrisy in President Bush's remarks. This was the same president who practiced diplomacy with North Korea and it's president Kim Jong-Il, which was another enemy of the United States. North Korea had nuclear weapons that had the potency to hit the west coast of America. It was diplomacy that got Kim Jong-Il to disarm. There was no appeasement. Why is practicing diplomacy with Iran appeasement when it was not the same as far as North Korea is concerned? Why won't you clear it up for us Mr. President?

The speech President Bush gave in front of Israel's Knesset last week is nothing short of hypocritical, sickeningly ironic, and uncalled for. Not only is President Bush in no position to comment on another politician's foreign policy, but he compared diplomacy to appeasement, which are two different terms. There is no place for this. There is no place for the leader of the free world to distort facts and to make false comparisons. If President Bush had any shred of dignity as a person, he would sincerely apologize for the speech he gave in front of the Knesset. If he fails to do so, then President Bush no longer deserves what little respect he has left as any politician, much less as President.

Good night...and good luck.

Kansas Jayhawks, Tennessee Volunteers win men's and women's college basketball national championships respectively.

2008-04-10T14:40:00.003-05:00

*I know this is belated. My apologies*

The Kansas Jayhawks and the Memphis Tigers mandated an overtime period in the men's college basketball national championship game last Monday night. Memphis led the Jayhawks by nine points in the final two minuets, but Kansas came back and forced the game into overtime, in which Kansas victored.

On the ladies' side, the Tennessee Volunteers blew out the Stanford Cardinal to win their second straight national championship.

Dr. King Assassination Four Decades ago Today

2008-04-04T14:43:00.002-05:00

It was on this day forty years ago when civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed at The Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN at the age of 39. He was in Memphis for a civil rights rally. James Earl Ray was accused and convicted of King's murder.

Dr. King was and still is known today as an icon in the civil rights movement. He was also a reverend and led an opposition to the Vietnam War. He is most known for "I have a dream" speech. King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President Carter in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. Dr. King's birthday became a national holiday every January since 1986.

The Lorraine Motel is now The National Civil Rights Museum.

North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas, and California-Los Angeles (UCLA), all #1 seeds, are in the Final Four

2008-03-31T14:04:00.003-05:00

I assume the readers have been keeping up with the NCAA tourney and if not they should be ashamed. For the first time in NCAA men's basketball tournament history, all of the number one seeds in the tournament, North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis, and California at Los Angeles (UCLA), made it to the final four in San Antonio, Texas. The final four will take place on Saturday on CBS. North Carolina will take on Kansas in the first match, while Memphis and UCLA will play in the second match. The championship game will tip off one week from today.

I did not have an official bracket made, but I will share you my prediction of the final four: North Carolina and Memphis will play inthe championship game with the former of the two winning the national championship.

Thieves Steal A Playstation Portable and the Medical Records of a 7-Year-Old Cancer Patient the day before his Birthday.

2008-03-31T13:51:00.003-05:00

Source: Joystiq

Without a doubt one of the most sickening and depressing stories I've ever read, gutless thieves allegedly stole medical records, medicine, and a Playstation Portable that belonged to 7-year-old and brain-cancer patient Kyle Springs on the eve of his birthday. He and his family were having breakfast in a restaurant when the heist ocurred. Fortunately, though, the Dallas police raised over $1,000 in two and a half hours time and his PSP and games were replaced. The crooks are still at large.

Commentary on Jack Thompson's Conduct at His Bar Trial.

2008-03-28T14:33:00.006-05:00

*Gamepolitics.com recently ran a series of excerpts from Jack Thompson's ethics trial in which he is facing permenant disbarrment. The series can be found here. It should also be noted that my commentaries are my opinions ONLY. THEY ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF FACT.*

It seems that Florida attorney and anti-video game activist Jack Thompson is hellbent on career suicide. If you do not believe me, then take a look at excerpts from the testimony at his bar trial, the very trial before the Florida Bar Association in which he is facing the loss of his bar license. Can it not be anymore obvious to Mr. Thompson that his career and reputation, or what remains of both, is on the line? Can it not be anymore obvious to Mr. Thompson that bringing video games into the trial will not win him sympathy of Judge Dava Tunis, who is presiding over the trial, and prosecutor Sheila Tuma? Can it not be anymore obvious to Mr. Thompson that his behavior will increase the likelihood that he may never practice law again?

Apparently not to Jack Thompson. After all, he is an attorney who does not know when to obey the judge and to shut up when he is told. This act has happened again and again like a broken record or a scratched CD. Every time he has yelled objection and was overruled, he talks back to the judge like a disobedient child. Mr. Thompson's conduct in and at times out of the courtroom has always been known to be unprofessional to say the least, but his conduct at the trial that determines his career's future is beyond unprofessional; it is reprehensible and suicidal to his career.

Who was Jack Thompson's layer in this trial? Who gave Jack Thompson advice to act like a tantrum-throwing child? Where did Mr. Thompson get the idea that he can conduct himself in such an immature manner in front of Judge Tunis and the Florida Bar Association and still think he can keep his license to practice law, much less not being held in contempt of court? Does he not get the idea that his misbehavior, arrogance, and stupidity will cost him his career?

Regardless of what one thinks about video game violence, or video games in general, it is obvious that Jack Thompson does not know how to conduct himself in the courtroom. It is obvious that Jack Thompson does not understand the implications that this trial has on the future of his career. Does Mr. Thompson never learn from the actions of the attorneys before him that lost their license to practice law? Does Mr. Thompson really want to flush his career, or the remains of his career, down the toilet? Does Mr. Thompson not have a sense of urgency that he could be in textbooks as an example of what not to do or as an example of what and who not to be like? Does he not get it? If he does not understand, then Jack Thompson needs to be disbarred. There is no place in this country for any lawyer to act like this. There is no place in this country for any attorney who does not conduct himself or herself in a professional manner and in an adult manner. A message needs to be sent to Jack Thompson. He needs to understand that he is not going to act like a petulant brat in the courtroom. He needs to understand that he is in no position to threaten a lawsuit against anyone who criticizes him. He needs to understand that he has no right to threaten anyone associated with the video game industry with jail time and to defame their families. Jack Thompson needs to be disbarred...permanently. There is no place in this country for an attorney such as him to be practicing law.

John Bruce Thompson has made a spectacle out of himself for the last time. He has made himself an embarrassment out of the lawyer profession for the last time. We have all seen this act again and again. Mr. Thompson's actions and conduct can no longer be tolerated by anyone. It does not matter whether or not one likes video games, those who read the bar trial excerpts can agree on this: It is time for Jack Thompson to be disbarred.

I have got one question to ask Mr. Thompson. This is a question that the late attoney Joseph Welch asked the late Senator Joe McCarthy (R-WI) when he accused Fredrick G. Fisher of communist association at the Army v. McCarthy hearings on April 22, 1954. Although what Jack Thompson is doing to the video game industry may be little when compared to what the junior Wisconsin senator did, this question applies to John Bruce Thompson today just as much as it applied to Sen. McCarthy 54 years ago. The question: "HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF DECENCY, SIR?"

Good night...and good luck.

Iraq War Soldier Deaths now at 4,000

2008-03-24T13:26:00.002-05:00

A grim milestone in the Iraq War has been reached yesterday when four American soldiers were killed in action. The deaths now bring the number of dead American soldiers up to four thousand.

House Hits Bridge in Arkansas

2008-03-21T21:36:00.002-05:00

The recent torrential rains in Arkansas and Missouri were needless to say devastating. The flood waters were so strong, they swept this house near Calico Rock in White County, Arkansas into a bridge.

Video courtesy of KATV Channel 7, Little Rock, Arkansas

Senator Barack Obama's (D-IL) Passport File Improperly Accessed by State Department Contractors.

2008-03-20T20:01:00.006-05:00

Source: MSNBC

Two contractors from the state department were terminated and a third was disciplined for breaching the passport files of presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). The records were allegedly breached on January 9, February 21, and March 14 of this year. The Justice Department has not yet launched a criminal investigation into the breachings and insists there were "no political motivations" into the breachings. The Obama Campaign demands to know who were the three that improperly accessed the passport and has called the breachings "outrageous breach of security and privacy".

UPDATE: The passport files of the other presidential candidates Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ) were also improperly accessed.

Commentary on the Iraq War

2008-03-20T11:33:00.003-05:00

Mistakes and foolish errors have been made throughout the history of the United States of America. These include slavery, the Great Depression, Isolationism, and reconstruction to name a few. America also had its share of idiot presidents. Buchanan, Harding, Carter, and Garfield are the names that come to mind when it comes to the politicians that never should have been in the oval office. But never in American history has there been a blunder so erroneous and a president too damn stupid and too damn arrogant to realize that it was a mistake. The error I am speaking of is the war in Iraq. The president I am speaking of is George Walker Bush.

The Iraq War got started on the idea that Iraq under Saddam Hussien had weapons of mass destruction. It also got started on the premise that Saddam was linked to Al Qeada and Osama Bin Laden, the world's most wanted man who was behind the horrifying attacks on September 11, 2001. When President Bush announced that a war with Iraq will result if Saddam does not disarm his weapons of mass destruction, most of the country and the world was behind him. Those who were in favor of the war in Iraq were viewed as patriotic while those who were opposed to it were viewed as anti-American. When France objected to the war, they were seen as anti-American and an ally of the enemy. Boycotts on French products were underway. When the country-music trio "The Dixie Chicks" made the infamous statement, the statement that said "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas", their fans burned their CDs or threw them in the trash. Those who backed the war and President Bush were seen as loyal to their nation while dissenters were treated like modern-day Benedict Arnolds. The president told the American People that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. The president told the American People Saddam was linked to Osama and 9/11.

It was all a lie.

No weapons of destruction were ever found. No link was found between Saddam Hussien and Osama Bin Laden. Al Qeada was never in Iraq. President Bush told the American People one lie after another. He and Vice President Cheney lied us into this war. He lied to congress about Iraq and 9/11. He lied to congress about the WMDs.

It has been five years ago yesterday when this war began. Five whole years have now been spent in Iraq. Although Saddam was captured, his sons Uday and Qusay were killed in a fire fight, and Al Zarqary was killed in an airstrike, more bad has been done than good. At least 3,990 American soldiers lost their lives. About 29,000 American Troops were wounded.

All of this for what? There were no weapons of mass destruction. There was no link between Saddam and Bin Laden. There was no link between Saddam and 9/11. There was no Al Qeada in Iraq before American Troops invaded. In fact, Saddam was not even a threat to the United States. However, the president and the vice president do not wish to listen to the critics of this war. When the generals told President Bush that his strategy would not work, they were fired. Valerie Plame's name was leaked when her husband, Joe Wilson, criticized Bush's war plans and she had to leave the CIA.

The actions of this administration are nothing short of irresponsible and alarming. President Bush and Vice President Cheney are responsible for the mess that is Iraq. They are responsible for the loss of nearly 4,000 soldiers. They are responsible for the many lies that got this nation into Iraq. And what did this all do? This war made Al Qeada stronger. This war distracted us from the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, who is still roaming about the planet as a free man instead of being brought to justice. Iraq is a total mess. It is a bottomless pit. Even though the surge may have lowered the violence in Iraq, it has failed its main goal: political reconciliation.

But is this war all Bush's fault? It may sound like it, but it really is not. It is also the fault of the representatives and senators, both Republicans and Democrats, that voted in favor of the use of force. Although they were lied to, it does not change the fact that the politicians who voted for the use of force in Iraq still voted for it. I can not take back my support for the use of force in Iraq. Neither should they. America has been through mistakes and the arrogant presidents who made them. None of them were as bad as the war in Iraq and no president was so stubborn as President Bush. The many errors made by this president and its consequences will be felt for quite some time. Hopefully our next president, whether it be Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), or Senator John McCain (R-AZ) will correct the severe errors made by President Bush and .

The war in Iraq was a mistake...and President Bush may go down in American history as the worst president ever.

Good night, and good luck.

Iraq War: Five Years Later

2008-03-19T08:33:00.003-05:00

The date was March Nineteenth. The year was 2003. It was on this day five years ago when the beginning of the end of Saddam Hussein's regime began. The Iraq War was started on the belief that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and was linked to the terrifying 9/11 attacks and Al Qeada. Most of the American people were in favor of the war in the beginning, but are now opposed to it and demand a troop pull-out.

President Bush will deliver a speech on the Iraq War from the Pentagon at 10:00 am eastern time.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I do not like to promote in any of my entries, but I feel it is necessary here. Tomorrow, there will be a commentary on the Iraq War. I apologize that I could not do so today, but I do not have the time for it today.

"Manhunt 2" Given Green Light in U.K.

2008-03-14T14:03:00.002-05:00

The video game "Manhunt 2", which was originally banned in the United Kingdom and given the "Adults Only" rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) here in the states, is now finally available in England. The game attracted controversy from its brutal content. "Manhunt 2" was later toned-down content wise and given the "Mature" rating from the ESRB, but was still banned in England. Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive appealed the decision and won, but the British Board of Film and Literature Classification (BBFC), Britain's rating board that refused a rating for the game which led to its banning, appealed the decision to the English High Court. The Video Appeals Committee (VAC) lifted the ban on "Manhunt 2".

Source: GamePolitics

New York Governor Spitzer (D) Involved in Prostitution Ring - New York Times.

2008-03-10T13:29:00.006-05:00

According to the New York Times, New York Governor Elliot Spitzer (D), known for his no-nonsense style of law enforcement, told his staff that he was involved in a prostitution ring. His involvement, particularly the criminal involvement, is unknown as of now.

The prostitution ring Spitzer is reportedly linked to is called "The Emperors Club", which according to the NY Times was under investigation from the IRS and the FBI.

UPDATE: NBC News confirms a federal wiretap on February 13th caught Spitzer setting up a meeting with a prostitute and was client 9 in a federal affidavit.

UPDATE 2: New York State's assembly minority leader is calling on Spitzer to resign.

"Super Smash Bros Brawl" to be Released Next Week.

2008-03-06T14:26:00.003-06:00

"Super Smash Bros Brawl", the third game in the Super Smash Bros series, is coming out next week. The game features 20-plus fighters including Mario, Link, Bowser, Pikachu, and Samus Aran among others, some of which are new to the series, like Pit, from the NES classic "Kid Icarus", Sonic, and Snake from the "Metal Gear Solid" series. The game features many unlockables, new stages and even old ones. The game is set for release next week.

The game also features moves called "final smashes". They can be seen in this YouTube clip.

Commentary on The "Bully" Video Game Controversy

2008-03-05T14:37:00.005-06:00

Here we go again. It is a statement, a saying, that expresses disdain for having to repeat something that one does not like, whether it be a snow storm, rising gas prices, or a once-thought extinguished controversy. A needless scandal that is all over the news outlets that makes us all say "please shut the hell up" is once again rearing its unwelcome head. Many various controversies fall into the category. One of which is the controversy that engulfed the video game "Bully" back in 2006. "Bully" attracted controversy just based on its name alone. The game had the player controlling Jimmy Hopkins, a 15-year old boy who was suspended from his school. While his parents go on vacation, he is sent to a prep school named "Bullworth Academy". Throughout the game, Jimmy fights back against the bullies that are over the campus and rids the school of wrongdoing. However, the critics of the game and the anti-game crusaders do not see it that way. They claim that "Bully" promotes bullying and puts kids, especially those who can not defend themselves, at risk of being bullied.

"Bully" is being rerelased as "Bully: Scholarship Edition" on the XBox360 and Nintendo Wii systems and the controversy and criticisms are fuming again. Now I have nothing against the critics of "Bully". They have the right to object to the game as much as Rockstar has the right to freely make and sell the game. The critics of "Bully" are good people and are well-intentioned. Some of them may have been victims of bullying themselves and would not want anyone else to go through the pain and suffering of being bullied. When complaining about the game, however, there is a line. A line that must never be crossed. It is known as the line of slander and libel. This is a line that has not only been crossed deliberately, but also spat upon by those who twist the game into something that it is not. These are the acts of the anti-video game crusaders. These people are those that blatantly distort the facts about campus shootings and crimes against law enforcement so they can make video games a scapegoat and to get their names in the paper and their faces on TV news. People like Jack Thompson, who tried to declare the sales of "Bully" a public nuisance, and watchdog groups like the Parents Television Council are well-known for this. With the rerelease of "Bully" they, along with teacher organizations, are once again spinning the game into a bully-training device. They claim "Bully" teaches its players to harass other kids. Other organizations claim this game has players "dunking pupils' heads in toilets, photographing them naked and physically assaulting them" (Source: GamePolitics).

This is false. These quotes are full of lies and defamation. This is where well intentions end. You do not lie about anything you do not like. You do not mischaractrize something you do not like. Lies, slander, and sensationalized crap are not a way to express concern. It only exposes you, those that spin the facts of "Bully", as liars. Doing this in a legislative session or in a court during trial results in perjury charges.

In an episode of "South Park", Stan answers the front door during a thunderstorm. He opens the door and sees his "future self", a homeless 30-year old who did alcohol and drugs in high school. His parents take him in and is convinced that Stan's future self is real. Later in the episode, Stan is staying after school with Butters for studying. In the scene, Butters says he also has a future self. Stan is suspicious and he, along with Butters, go to a building named Motivation Corp., a company that lies and exaggerates the facts of smoking, drinking, and drug use at an early age. When motivation corp is exposed at the episode's end. Stan's mother gives a wonderful lesson: Lies and exaggerations are no way to get your point across.

This lesson applies to those who twist "Bully" into something it is not. The activists, parent and teacher organizations, and watchdog groups could learn a lesson from Stan's parents. Lies and exaggerations are no way to get your point across. When you lie, you are jeopardizing your credibility as a person of any profession. When you lie, you are jeopardizing the credibility of your employers. When you lie, you are jeopardizing the credibility and integrity of your Alma Mater. When you lie, you jeopardize your career. Lastly and most essentially, when you lie, you jeopardize your own integrity, your financial status, your status as a role model to children, and even your house and possessions. You will be nothing more than a fraud. You could be an example of what not to be and what not to do in textbooks for years to come. Your Alma Mater could lose students and experience lower enrollment rates. Your fellow alumni of your Alma mater could also have their careers jeopardized and credibility tarnished. You could lose the respect of your children and family. There is a line between criticizing something you do not like and defamation, whether it be slander or libel. To those who deliberately cross this line without any thoughts to the consequences, get back behind that line before the aforementioned happens to you.

We have heard these lies and slander back in 2006 when the original "Bully" was released. We all heard that the game will cause bullying to skyrocket across the land. This has not happened. Why are teachers and anti-game activists afraid of the game's rerelease? No such reason exists to be afraid of the rerelease of "Bully", especially if nothing bad happened after the game's initial release. Here we go again, indeed. Haven't we been through this? Going through this controversy again makes me feel like I am in the movie "Groundhog Day".

The entire concept of history is to learn from its lessons. Apparently and obviously, the defamers of "Bully" did not learn anything. Not a damn thing at all. This is a symptom, an exhibition, of blind hatred. The people who distort the facts, or even make up the facts, of a game I doubt they even played have such a hatred against "Bully", or even Video Games in general, they do not care if they are proven wrong.

In my commentary about Fox News' distortions about the love scene in "Mass Effect", I said that those who distort the facts of the game are far worse than those who develop the game. This applies to the anti-game activists. This applies to the organizations that defame "Bully". They are far worse than Rockstar. They are shamelessly slanderizing and libeling a game that has its players fighting off bullies. What does this tell you of these groups and organizations? They have no good intentions whatsoever. They are in no position to call Rockstar, the ESRB, and the retailers irresponsible. If they had any moral forditude, they will sincerely apologize to Rockstar, the ESRB, and the retailers. Unfortunately, we will not be hearing any apology anytime soon...or ever.

I want to say one last thing to the teachers and administrators that are slanderizing "Bully". If you want to stop bullying, start enforcing the rules and begin punishing those who bully other classmates. Do not tell me that you are. I have been through the public school system. If you can not do this, then you got a problem that is far, far worse than a video game.

Good night, and good luck.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) wins GOP Nomination; President Bush Endorses McCain for President.

2008-03-05T14:26:00.002-06:00

With victories in all of Tuesday night's Republican Primaries (RI, OH, TX, VT), Arizona Senator John McCain is the nominee for the oval office on the GOP side. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race after the results of the GOP primaries were announced.

President Bush (R) has also endorsed McCain for presidency.

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) wins Rhode Island, Texas, and Ohio in Tuesday Night's Primaries.

2008-03-05T14:18:00.003-06:00

New York Senator Hillary Clinton (D) resurrected her once-thought dead presidential bid last night. She won contests in Rhode Island, Texas, and Ohio. Her rival Barack Obama (D-IL) only won Vermont. Barack Obama still leads the delegate count, but Clinton has the momentum and a new lease on her campaign.

The next big stste contest is in Pennsylvania on April 22nd, where Senator Clinton has a lead. Over 100 pledged delegates are at stake.

Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre Will Retire.

2008-03-04T08:45:00.002-06:00

Source: ESPN/NFL Network

After 17 seasons in the NFL, including two NFC championships and a Super Bowl ring, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will call it a career in a news conference at 4:00 pm EST. In his stellar career, number 4 made 255 consecutive starts and threw 442 touchdown passes, the most in NFL history.

Michigan's Women's Basketball Coach Goes off the Deep End.

2008-03-01T14:09:00.003-06:00

Courtesy: ESPN/Big Ten Network

Coaching meltdown of the year.

Dennis Green and John L .Smith do not have anything on this.

"No Country for Old Men" Wins Big at Oscars.

2008-02-25T15:09:00.003-06:00

The 80th annual academy awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, took place last night in Hollywood (where else?). The top prize, Best Picture, went to the crime flick No Country for Old Men. Directorial brothers Joel and Ethan Coen won best director honors for the film.

Indiana Men's Basketball Coach Kelvin Sampson Resigns

2008-02-22T18:00:00.003-06:00

He never even finished his second season as Indiana University's men's basketball coach, but amid scandal Kelvin Sampson has resigned as head coach. Kelvin and the university were under NCAA investigations into Sampsons' alleged violations of his NCAA imposed probation stemming from text and phone call violations while he was Oklahoma's men's basketball coach. The (Indiana) university was also conducting its own investigation into Coach Sampson's alleged violations. His resignation is effective immediately and will be given $750M from Indiana in return and will not be able to sue the university. Assistant Coach Dan Dakich is interim head coach.

The Indiana Hoosiers were 22-4 overall this season with an 11-2 record in Big Ten play and were tied for first place in the league

Fox News' Bill O'Reilly Makes a Vile Remark on his Radio Show about Michelle Obama.

2008-02-21T11:08:00.003-06:00

Listen at the 30-second mark.

EDITOR'S NOTE: These remarks from Bill O'Reilly are nothing short of disturbing, sick, and racist. He should apologize and be suspended or even terminated. This is unacceptable and unprofessional.

New York Times: Senator McCain (R-AZ) had Relationship with Lobbyist.

2008-02-21T10:47:00.003-06:00

With the republican presidential nomination unofficially clinched, Arizona Senator John McCain has now found himself in the middle of a scandal. According to the New York Times, John McCain had an improper, romantic relationship with a lobbyist during his presidential run in 2000. Both the senator and the lobbyist are denying any romantic encounter. Senator McCain and his wife have criticised the newspaper for the story and are calling it "gutter politics". The New York Times has endorsed Senator McCain for the republican president nomination.

Fidel Castro, after 49 Years of Rule, Steps Down as President of Cuba.

2008-02-21T10:41:00.003-06:00

I know this is a couple of days old. I had other, more essential tasks to do and thus did not have the time to post this.

Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba for nearly half a century, has stepped down as president. He has been in control of Cuba since the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1959. Cuba is one of the last solid communist nations in the world. His older brother, Raul Castro, is supposedly gonig to replace Fidel as leader of Cuba.

Jack Thompson Threatens NIU with Lawsuit.

2008-02-18T12:07:00.002-06:00

Source: GamePolitics

Anti-game activist Jack Thompson has threatened the investigators of the Northern Illinois University shootings if they do not go into the killer's video game playing. He is citing the Illinois Freedom of Information Act as his reason.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This act by Mr. Thompson is dispicible, low, and vile. He is in no position to demand anything from the investigatiors, whether he is legally allowed to or not.

Commentary on Jack Thompson Faulting Games on the Northern Illinois University Killings.

2008-02-15T13:43:00.003-06:00

There are some things in life we can never predict. We can never predict where we may live or what job we have ten years from now. We may never be able to predict who we marry. We may never be able to predict what kind of children we have and how they turn out, whether they may turn out to be criminals or the president of the United States. Sadly, we may never be able to predict when someone goes on a rampage at a college campus and killing unfortunate victims. This is what happened at the Northern Illinois University yesterday. A gunman, who was an honors graduate of the university, went on a rampage killing five students before turning the gun on himself and commiting suicide. It was yet another shooting on a school campus. This nation has had too many of these campus shootings over the years...and by too many, I mean not one campus shooting should ever have happened. Sadly, we can never predict with complete accuracy when these shootings occur. These, unfortunately, are spontaneous. No one ever knows for sure when these sick acts of violence unfold.

However, we can predict with great accuracy this one sad fact. Whenever shootings occur, when gunfire rings out across a school or college campus, there will be those who capitalize on these kinds of tragedies. One of the most infamous and notorious of these massacre chasers is an attorney from Miami named John Bruce Thompson, better known to gamers as Jack Thompson. He has once again in an interview on Fox News faulted video games for the massacre that ended the lives of five innocent victims. He has, for the second time in less than a year, blamed video games for a shooting before any facts about the shooter were revealed. The shooter, according to local police, was a 27-year old honors graduate of NIU with an unknown mental condition. He, according to police, was not taking his medicine and began to act erratically recently.

I can not say for certain that the shooter's condition led to the massacre, but the fact that the shooter had some sort of mental condition along with the fact that he was off his medication should eliminate any possibility that video games were a cause of the shooting.

I am sickened, but not suprised, that Mr. Thompson would capitalize on a serious and sad massacre to push his agenda. He has taken yet another tragedy and, instead of waiting for all of the facts about the shooter to be known, he tried to fault something that has nothing to do with the tragedy. The shooter was suffering from an apparent mental condition. He was off of his medication. Does this not tell Thompson and anyone else who blames the games for these tragedies that the mental health of the killer is the real red flag for this tragedy? I would think that instead of faulting video games, any other kind of entertainment, or popular culture as a whole, we would look at what went wrong with the killer, especially if the killer was an honors graduate.

Silly me. When it comes to those who ignore the factors that are usually the cause of these campus shootings, they choose to go after entertainment, especially video games. These are the kinds of people that are wrapped up in their own ideology of a society that shuns free thought, free speech, freedom to think however the hell we want to think and to think whatever the hell we want to think. When people like Jack Thompson blame video games for campus shootings, they have an agenda. Their agenda is to stifle the content in video games and even an attempt to ban video games altogether. We have seen this again and again. They do not care if they are proven wrong. When an investigation panel, assinged by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D), found out that Virginia Tech shooter Seung Hui Cho did not play violent video games, Jack Thompson still claimed violent games were the cause of the April 2007 tragedy. Lyndon LaRouch accused the panel of a cover-up. To them video games are the cause of campus shootings. Do not try to convince them otherwise. They will not listen their critics and may stoop to McCarthyistic levels in their response to their critics.

I understand that we want to prevent campus shootings.These are tragedies that should never happen. We all want to know exactly how to prevent these sick and terrifying acts of violence and murder. However, when we have those who look for a scapegoat that had nothing to do with the massacre and stick with that scapegoat even when proven wrong and accuse their critics of being "on the take", we do not move forward in the steps needed to prevent further massacres. Cho was not found to be playing violent video games. Despite that finding by the Virginia Tech panel, Thompson and LaRouch still accuse video games for the shootings that took place ten months ago. Does this not sound dangerous? We are trying to find out how to prevent campus shootings and we have those who bring up something that was not a factor in the shooting. By the way, if the "theories" of Mr. Thompson and other anti-game activists were true, then why aren't campus killings widespread? Why don't we have campus shootings taking place at all of our nation's schools, colleges, and universities? More than half of this nations' people are gamers like myself. We need to make all campuses safer and blaming things that are repeatedly found not to have been a factor in these shootings does not help.

Why do you do this Mr. Thompson? Why do you ignore the mental health of the killer and instead bring up the "video games made him do it" card, thus capitalizing on a serious tragedy in which five innocent people are dead just to push your agenda and to make yourself a bigger media whore? You may sugarcoat it as protecting the public or acting in the name of God, but gamers, including myself that you put down, humiliate, insult, and defame have followed you throughout your so-called crusade and we know better than that. While you are out on your "media tour", why don't you stop by Chris Matthews' show instead of a channel that is known to sensationalize these acts of violence? And speaking of Fox News, did you, Fox News, not learn anything from Jack's lies? Did you not learn ANYTHING from the recent "Mass Effect" controversy? I look forward to the day when both of you, Fox News and Jack Thompson, learn from your past distortions. I am not holding my breah though. One more thing to Fox News: Why do you name Jack Thompson a "campus shooting expert"? He is an expert in something. That something is being a massacre chaser and if he is a "campus shooting expert", then I am an expert...in quantum physics.

I once heard this quote: "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it". I don't know who said that or when, but when Jack Thompson and other anti-game activists capitalize on the killings at the Northern Illinois University, I can't help but to think of that quote. They have done this before and have been proven wrong. They did not learn from the past. They are doomed to repeat it. They will be doomed to repeat it again until they learn from the past. I hope that happens someday...but I am not holding my breath.

Good night, and good luck.

Jack Thompson Faults Video Games in Northern Illinois Shootings (as usual) in an Interview on (where else?) Fox News.

2008-02-15T13:19:00.002-06:00

Watch this.

He said this before an investigation was finished. He actually said this before the press conference was underway. Jack Thompson, in my opinion, is nothing more than a massacre chaser. Also, Fixed News did not learn anything from Jack's lies about a video game connection with the Virginia Tech massacre and their own debacle with "Mass Effect". This was a student, who according to police, was off his medication for a condition. Not to mention the shooter was 27 years old.

Does Jack Thompson and Fox News not have any shame...at all?

Gunman Kills Six, Including Himself, in Rampage at Northern Illinois University.

2008-02-15T12:55:00.004-06:00

Source: AP/MSNBC

Yet another campus shooting occurred yesterday at the Northern Illinois University. The gunman was Stephen Kazmierczak, a 27-year old honors graduate of NIU. He opened fire at Cole Hall , eventually killing five students and then took his own life. A motive is not confirmed, but local law enforcement is saying that Kazmierczak was not taking his medication for a condition and was acting erratically recently.

My heart, thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to the injured and to the freinds and families of those who died.

Barry Bonds Failed Steroid Test in 2001 According to Feds.

2008-02-14T19:50:00.004-06:00

Barry Bonds, the all-time home run leader, is one of many baseball players who are suspected of steroid use. The accusations now may be a reality. According to federal agents, the former San Fransisco Giants slugger failed a steroid test in 2001, the same year in which he broke the single-season home-run record, which was broken three years prior by Mark McGuire.

UPDATE: The date on which Bonds' failed the drug test was a typo. Barry Bonds did fail a steroids test in November of 2000, not 2001. Nevertheless, a failed steroid test is not good news for Barry Bonds period.

The Writers' Strike Comes to an End.

2008-02-13T13:55:00.002-06:00

The hollywood writers' strike, which began in November of last year, is now at an official end. The strike, which halted production on television shows and movies, was the result of a dispute over profits for the writers of the shows and movies that can be dowloaded on the internet. The writers demanded a share of the profits from the shows and films, but the producers would not budge. The strike, which resulted, is now settled with the writers getting what they demanded.

Call Letters the FCC Will Not Issue

2008-02-08T16:26:00.000-06:00

This is for comedic purposes:

The Call Letters, which are three or four letters assinged to a radio or TV station that begin with a W east of the Mississippi River or a K west of the Mississippi, are from the Federal Communications Commission. These letters are determined based on location, such as KLRT (Fox's Little Rock affiliate), which could stand for Little Rock Television. They could be based on their origin, such as WNDU (NBC's South Bend, Indiana affiliate), which stands for Notre Dame University.where they got their start. However, There are certain call letters that the FCC will not issue.

HERE ARE THE CALL LETTERS THE FCC WILL NOT ISSUE
KWTF* / WWTF / WTF
KBS / WBS
KUNT*
KGTA / WGTA
KCOK / WCOK
KPEE / WPEE
KFOS / WFOS
KPOS / WPOS
KXXX / WXXX
KKK / WKKK
WWWF / KWWF / WWF
WWWE / WWE / KWWE

*These call letters were actually used, but were later chamged.

Fox News Calls Republican Arizona Senator and Presidential Candidate John McCain a Democrat.

2008-02-08T15:55:00.000-06:00

Source: Fox Attacks

When a republican politician questions the policies of this administration or is being investigated for pedophilia, Fox News will more than likely label them a democrat. This happened when disgraced REPUBLICAN Florida congressman Mark Foley was investigated in the Congressional Page scandal. Fox did it again when REPUBLICAN senator Arlen Specter from Pennsylvainia questioned the testimony of former US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during the lawyer firing scandal. Fox News did it again with REPUBLICAN senator John McCain. McCain, who objects to an immediate end of the Iraq War, something that Senators Obama (D-IL) and Clinton (D-NY) want to do, objected to the use of torture to get information from captured terrorists and backed the immigrant amnesty bill. He was labeled a Democrat by Fox News. This is the third time this (joke of a) news channel. Does this tell you that Fox News is neither fair nor balanced?

Mitt Romney (R) to Suspend Presidential Run.

2008-02-07T11:52:00.000-06:00

Mitt Romney has suspended his presidential campaign according to NBC News. He won seven states during his run and was a close second place to Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in the number of delegates. John McCain is the presumed front-runner, but has to stay ahead of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) and congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) to get the party nomination.

Bobby Knight Resigns from Texas Tech.

2008-02-07T11:44:00.000-06:00

A shocking announcement was made late Monday evening when Bobby Knight, Texas Tech's mens basketball coach, resigned. He was the coach of the Red Raiders for six seasons and compiled a winning record as coach. If this is his retirement, Knight leaves a prolific and controversial career. He won three national championships at Indiana University, including an undefeated season in 1976. He was also noted for his outbursts, including tossing a chair in a game against Purdue in 1985. However, Bobby Knight will be more known for his accomplishments than his infamous eruptions.

New York Giants Win Super Bowl XLII.

2008-02-04T13:59:00.001-06:00

With Eli Manning's arm and the front seven of the Giants defense led by Michael Strahan, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots magical season with the score of 17-14. The winning score came with less than a minute left in the game when Giants QB Eli Manning threw a touchdown pass to WR Plaxico Burress. Eli Manning was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLII.

The Outlet Picks New England Patriots in Tonight's Super Bowl XLII.

2008-02-03T14:57:00.000-06:00

The biggest night in not just football, but in all of sports and American Culture is here. The NFC champion New York Giants take on the AFC champion New England Patriots in tonight's Super Bowl. The Giants are coming off of an incredible run in the playoffs, pulling off two forth-quarter comebacks led by Giants quarterback Eli Manning. The Patriots are coming in tonight with a perfect 18-0 record and looking to finish it off.

The Outlet picks New England to win tonight and finish off a perfect season.

Go Patriots!

Website of the Week: Video Game Director's Cuts.

2008-02-01T16:49:00.000-06:00

First off, I apologize for a lack of a WOTW last week. I was hammered down with school work. With that out of the way...

A fun thing to do in flash is taking sprites and making hilarious and vulgar short movies out of them. No one does it better than Randy Solem, founder and manager of The Outlet's Website of the Week, Video Game Director's Cuts. This wesite features 40+ sprite-based spoofs on classic video game series and other movies sent in by fans. These flash movies, especially the Mario movies, are funny as hell. Check it out.

Website of the Week: videogamedc.com

First off, it should be noted that these flash movies ARE NOT ACTUALLY DIRECTOR'S CUTS. The site's name is a spoof on his own films. Also, Randy Solem makes some, if not most, of the funnies flash movies ever. He is the Monty Python of sprite-based flash movies.

Comments on the State of The Union Address.

2008-01-31T10:48:00.000-06:00

A war without end. Deceptions about Iran and their nuclear program. An economy that is down and could be heading toward a recession. This is what the administration of our 43rd president George Walker Bush will be remembered for. A disaster that is the Iraq War. Intentional lies about Iran's uranium enrichment program which was once thought to be a horrifying reality, only instead to learn that said program was suspended in 2003 according to the National Intellegence Estimate. A sluggish and weakening economy that cost the jobs of the American people, raised gas prices, and declined the value of the U.S. dollar. This was the work of this current adminisrtation. These topics were highlights in the President's annual State of the Union address. In the address last Monday Night, President Bush addressed the status of Iraq, Iran's uranium enrichment program, and the economy. This State of the Union, however, was not, in my opinion (like all of my commentaries) an actual report on our country. Instead, President Bush spun the status of the Iraq War, Iran's urainium enrichment program that was suspended for almost half a decade, and the economy of the United States. President Bush's speech was a cut and paste from his previous annual addresses. We, regardless of political affiliation, are tired of this. We have heard the same old song and dance year after year.

President Bush's statements about the success of the surge are not truthful. Although the surge did work from a militarily standpoint, thus Al Quieda being driven out of Iraq and an overall drop in violence, the primary goal of the surge was to give security for political reconciliation in Iraq. This has not happened. Iraq continues to be an unstable country. Iraq is still in a state of chaos and dissarry while our brave men and women in uniform are continuosly dying from roadside bombs, suprise attacks, and suicide bombers. President Bush is telling the American people that things in Iraq are better than they once were. I agree that things in Iraq are better, but it is far from good. Our troops are still losing their lives and our military is straining in a war that is growing pointless every single day. A war that made more enemies while we lost allies and our standing in the world. No political progress was made. The surge, while succeding militarilly thanks to our excellent army, is not working politically.

President Bush made comments about Iran's suspended uranium enrichment program in his address Monday Night. He told the many viewers of his speech that if Iran wants to negotiate, they need to end their enrichment program. Did our elected president just all of a sudden forgot about the NIE report that said Iran suspended said program in 2003? That same report that President Bush got back in August, but still brought up a nuclear holocaust and World War 3 if Iran was allowed to continue said program? President Bush got it all wrong. Those who watched the State of the Union and listened to the president make those remarks about Iran could only imagine how most of the American people felt and how the Democrats felt about the insane and utterly false comments President Bush made. The American people do not want and do not need a president that is delusional. We do not need a president that instead of running a country in the real world, rules the country in a fantasy world. GET BACK TO EARTH MR. PRESIDENT. Get back to reality.

The economy, which was also addressed in the State of the Union, is not in a recession...but it is heading in that direction. Although time will tell of the new economic agreement between the White House and congress, time will not be essential to tell of Bush's economic policies. They, just like his presidency, was a flop. The value of the dollar has declined. Jobs went overseas. The housing market is in a mess. President Bush's economic policies were the cause of the aforementioned. His economic policies raised unemployment and foreclocures. His policies are a factor in the rising of gas prices and the devaluing of the dollar. Despite the Dow rising as high as 14,000 points, the economy is in a freefall and possibly heading into a recession, the second one of his presidency. President Bush's economic policy was a disaster.

President Bush's State of the Union address was nothing more than falsehoods. It paints a false reality of this nation. It was not reflective of the actual state of the union. You do not need a pundit to tell you this. You do not need a blog to tell you this. If you saw the State of the Union, you can see just how wrong the president was and how devisive the parties were. When President Bush mentioned the complete success of the surge, the Republican half of the audience applauded while the Democratic half sat still in solid disagreement. When President Bush mentioned about Iran's suspended uranium enrichment program, the Democrats, while calm on the outside, were screaming bloody murder and complete objection on the inside. However, the Democrats were not alone in their objection. You can ask the near seventy (70) percent of the American people that object to Bush's policies. It does not matter whether they are affiliated with any party. You do not need to be a liberal or a Democrat to realize that this nation is on the wrong track.

It is a damn shame President Bush does not recognize this. He does not realize the nation is in the wrong direction and that his policies put this nation on that track. It was his job to put this nation on the right track. He has failed. His State of the Union address is further evidence that President Bush does not know how to run this country. His state of the union was an hour of falsehoods. What is more depressing is that we all heard the same thing year after year. Iraq is getting better. The economy is thriving. Iran is trying to get nuclear weapons. This is sounding like a broken record.

WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, HAVE HEARD THIS, PRESIDENT BUSH, AGAIN AND AGAIN. LISTEN TO YOUR PEOPLE FOR A CHANGE, WILL YOU?

Good night and good luck.

Brief Commentary on Electronic Arts' Resopnse to Fox News "Mass Effect" Smear.

2008-01-25T14:05:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, the XBox 360 game "Mass Effect" was unfairly slammed and defamed by author Cooper Lawrence and Fox News. In a debate on the midday show "The Live Desk", guest Cooper Lawrence and host Martha MacCallum sensationalized the game and its tastefully done love scene. They claimed the game featured full nudity and graphic sex. The segment was even titled "'SE'XBOX? New Video Game Shows Full Digital Nudity And Sex". Spike TV's Geoff Keighley did a tremendous job defending the game, but was not given much time to give his response. In all, it was a sad and disgraceful display from Cooper and Fox News. Cooper, Martha, and the "A-List" panel slammed "Mass Effect" unfairly. Adding to the disgrace and the lack of credibility on the issue is that Cooper Lawrence, during the debate, said she never played the game. Just sad, but not suprising from Fox News. Yesterday, Electronic Arts, parent company of "Mass Effect" developer BioWare, called out Fox News and demanded them to correct themselves about the game. VP Jeff Brown also called out Fox for their hypocrisy, pointing out that Fox Television Network shows like "Family Guy" and "The O.C." have more sexual content than "Mass Effect".

It is about time.

It is about damn time that someone in the industry called out Fox News on their lies. When games are slammed, it is not the game itself that feels the heat. Game companies are painted as those who push porn on kids. They are portrayed as sick individuals, smut peddlers, those who target law enforcement. Gamers themselves are portrayed as perverted, twisted, and violent. Brown finally did something that should have been done a long, long time ago. He fought back against Fox News and Cooper Lawrence. He took a stand. The rest of the industry need to follow suit when a game is unfairly slammed.

Fox News as well as the rest of the mainstream media needs to take more responsibility and to check their facts. Back in 2004, former CBS Evening News host Dan Rather ran a story about President Bush's National Guard service record. When he reported the story incorrectly, Rather lost his job and an accomplished jounalist had his reputation wrecked. If Dan Rather gets fired for not fact-checking, then Martha MacCallum and Cooper Lawrence should be admonished and disciplined for their lies about "Mass Effect". This is a sign that the game companies are not going to be slanderized and bullied around anymore.

Good night and good luck.

Commentary on Fox News' Sensationalistic Deceptions and Hypocritical Outrage Over "Sex" Scene in Mass Effect.

2008-01-22T12:56:00.000-06:00

It should be no surprise and no mystery that Fox News is neither fair nor balanced. Their deceptive tactics and rampant sensationalism are well-known among their former viewers like myself. Fox News has sensationalized hostage situations and school shootings. They added inappropriate and gratuitous sexual imagery when they covered a serial killer prowling around the beaches of Florida near Spring Break. In fact, Fox News adds gratuitous sexual images in almost any story they cover, especially sexual-themed stories. When Bill O'Reilly devoted a segment of his show to a Carl's Jr. television advert staring Paris Hilton, he displayed the ad for 19 seconds running. Instead of responsibly showing the ad to his viewers for only five seconds, he shown the ad for nearly a third of a minuet. If you are showing an ad you are outraged at for only five seconds, I would not mind. When you do that for almost twenty seconds, you are using that ad gratuitously and it makes you a hypocrite. This is what Fox News does best. Spin the story to make whatever they do not like look bad. They take what democrats say and twist it into something negative. It is wrong and is not reflective of what I thought Fox News was...fair and balanced.

The tactics of Fox News was on display again yesterday on their midday show "The Live Desk". The segment was on the supposed sex scene in the Xbox 360 game "Mass Effect". Hosted by Martha MacCallum, the segment featured a debate between author Cooper Lawrence and Spike TV's game reporter Geoff Keighley (transcript and YouTube video here). The segment was titled "Se"Xbox? New Video Game Shows Full Digital Nudity and Sex". Keighley defended the game well, but it was obvious the game along with Keighley himself was not going to get the "fair and balanced" treatment. Geoff was not given much time to give his replies while Cooper Lawrence was misrepresenting the game, a game she admitted that she never played, and was just being rude to Keighley, even telling Martha to "Let me at him".

Geoff should be praised not only for defending the game, but for even going on Fox News, which is never kind to video games or the industry itself. He had tremendous poise and kept his cool while he was being rudely interrupted by Lawrence along with being bombarded with sensationalized exaggerations of the scene and the game itself. Full nudity? Explicitly graphical sex? This could not be further from the truth. The scene (which is in the YouTube clip here) only features a bare backside and one breast. No full nudity. No graphic sex. Cooper Lawrence, along with Martha and the "A-List" panel, made the false claims of graphic sex without even playing the game. Does this sound fair and balanced? Were the words of Lawrence about the game as a whole and the way Martha moderated the debate reflective of that slogan? Look at the title of that segment. "Se"Xbox? New Video Game Shows Full Digital Nudity and Sex". That alone should be a red flag not only for sensationalizing a story, but also for slander. Microsoft and BioWare should call an attorney.

When Martha interviewed the panel about the scene, one of the panelists criticized the ESRB for not giving the game the Adults Only rating, which would get the game pulled from store shelves. If Mass Effect should get such a rating for the "graphic scene", then Fox News should be declared obscene and be available only through the adult pay-per-view channels. The sexual images they shamelessly exhibit while covering news stories are more graphic and more gratuitous than the supposed sex scene in Mass Effect and are on the screen longer on all of their shows than the scene in the game. Fox News is being hypocritical in their outrage. Not only do they display sexual images without any qualms, but their salaries are paid by the same man who owns the Fox Television Network, which has shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, House, and 24 among other shows that are not suitable for children. These shows feature more sexual content than Mass Effect. Fox News is owned by the same company that owns MySpace. I do not need to tell you about the stuff one can view on the social networking site. Fox News and their employees are in no place to criticise those who develop games with any sexual content. If they want to go after adult content, they should start with their own channel. How about if they not show sexual content gratuitously and inappropriately?

Fox News' coverage of the "sex scene" in Mass Effect is nothing short of sensationalism and a complete distortion of facts. The so-called graphic nudity is nothing more than a brief shot of a woman's rear and a bare left breast. This is not pornographic. This is not AO content. Fox News is doing what they do best. They sensationalize. They spin the facts. They are not fair to who they do not agree with. Fox News is lying to their viewers. Their viewers are not getting all sides of any story they "report". This is fear-mongering. The act of deliberately twisting facts and research to scare viewers and to defame anyone or anything is a violation of journalistic ethics. We have seen this from Fox News so many times. This is the same network that gave anti-game crusader and lawyer Jack Thompson air time during their coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre. Fox did nothing but listen to this massacre-chasing monster blaming video games for the shooting before any investigation took place, before the identity of the shooter was known, before the final body count was known, while students were worried sick about the well-being of fellow students and professors, while family members were waiting for the conditions of their loved-ones. Just sad and disgraceful. No one at Fox News objected. No one at Fox News had any qualms about Jack Thompson capitalizing on a tragedy that was still going on. DO THEY NOT HAVE ANY SHAME?

My anger with Fox News is not a right-wing issue or a left-wing issue. This is about holding journalists who sensationalize and spin the facts responsible. The journalists at Fox need to take a long look in the mirror. They need to look at themselves and take stock. When they do that, they should ask themselves this question: Who is worse, the game developers who make the games or those in the media who sensationalize and distort the facts about the game to scare the viewers and to fit an agenda? If you think the former is worse, I got these six words to say:

YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING JOURNALISTS!

Good night and good luck.

Thoughts on Universal Healthcare

2008-01-21T14:38:00.000-06:00

The health of a human being. It is a paramount essence to ones' livelihood. The very thing that keeps a person alive and judges a persons' odds of living into tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year. Our health is based on our heart, lungs, bone strength, and muscle strength among other factors. The proper maintenance of the factors of overall health is a top importance to anyone if they want to live a long life. A person alone, however, can not check how his or her heart is working and whether it needs to be examined. A person alone can not check their own teeth to see if they need fillings or a root canal. A person alone can not perform surgery on themselves to repair a torn ACL. This is why we have doctors, dentists, surgeons, and many other medical professionals. We visit them to get our check-up. We visit them when something in our body goes wrong. However, they, lust like anyone who has a job, needs to be paid. The bills are usually paid by the patient. The bills can be expensive, sometimes costing as much as a thousand dollars. Luckily, we have insurance that can co-pay the fees and bills.

Sadly insurance companies at times do not co-pay for operations. It is a depressing fact, but many who do not have good insurance and can not afford for surgeries that can save a person's life do not get the mandated treatment. They are turned away from the help they need. They are denied of the care that they mandate. Instead of having a doctor to take care of them, those who could not get the care they need to save their lives because of a bad insurance policy are left for dead. This is a sad dose of reality. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories of those who lost loved ones because some insurance companies are too cheap to co-pay for a surgery that could have saved their lives. This is a serious problem in this nation and it is a topic in the presidential campaign. A solution is needed.

The easiest solution and the one favored by the democratic presidential candidates is universal, or socialized, healthcare. Universal healthcare is a program used in Canada, England, and France among other countries that guarantees everyone healthcare regardless of insurance. The idea of universal healthcare in America sounds like a great solution. All of those who were turned away from healthcare because of affordability will get the healthcare because it is paid for by the government. That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? Our government pays for the police force and for the fire department. They also pay for the roads and their maintenance. Imagine if we had to pay for our police force or for the fire department. I tremble at the thought of the people not getting help from law enforcement because they could not pay for it. I wince at the thought of not getting help from the fire department because I could not pay them. If we do not have to pay for the police or fire departments, then why should we have to pay for healthcare. Universal healthcare is a fabulous idea...

...on paper.

Universal healthcare is not the best solution. In fact, it is far from the best solution. One of the flaws of universal healthcare are waiting lists. Those on the list have to wait several days or even months to get the treatment they need. They can not move ahead regardless of the severity of their condition. They have to wait some time in order to get the treatment they need. Imagine that you need a surgery as soon as possible, but you are put on a waiting list. You could wait for months, not getting the care you need while your condition worsens. You could even die while you are waiting for your operation. Even if the average waiting time is only a couple of days, a day or two could be the difference between life or death. This flaw is worsened by those who would go to the doctor when even the littlest thing in them goes wrong. Those who do that clog up the lists and holds up those who are in more need of medical care than those who may have nothing worse than a runny nose or morning sickness (the feeling you get when you wake up and quickly goes away).

Universal healthcare has other flaws, but none of which are as paramount as this. Earlier in this commentary, I noted that the police department, the fire department, and our roads are paid for by the government. Where does this money come from? It comes from...OUR TAXES. Those who claim that universal healthcare is free could not be further from the truth. The government uses our tax dollars to pay for law enforcement, our firemen, and our military among other things. Imagine your tax dollars going to a person who sees a doctor over nothing worse than a cough, or a person who sees a doctor to get a prescription for medicine to make meth, or even to those who commit fraud. The thought of those who abuse something that is paid by our taxes is sick, but those who would commit fraud with our tax dollars is beyond sick. It is repugnant. This can happen and possibly will happen with a universal healthcare system. This is a society that cares for others, but it is not selfish to think to yourself sometimes. The higher tax rates that come with universal healthcare will leave you with less money for the things you need. You will have less money for your home, your groceries, running water, electricity, and other essentials. Low-income families will be under a heavier burden with the higher tax rates and homeless rates could increase. Universal healthcare is paid by tax dollars. It is not free.

Backers of universal healthcare accuse hospitals of denying care to those who enter emergengy rooms if they can not pay for it. This is not only false, it is illegal. Federal law obligates emergency rooms to care for those who need it regardless of affordability.

The healthcare system in this nation is broken, but a universal healthcare system is not the answer. The waiting list will have patients needing an immediate surgery waiting either a day or half a year and taxes will sharply increase. In fact, nations that have socialized healthcare have higher tax rates than the U.S. France has a tax rate six times the rate in this country. Universal healthcare sounds good on paper, but it may not work in the United States.

Good night and good luck.

Did a Rush to Beat Sony Cause the Red Rings of Death Controversy?

2008-01-21T09:46:00.000-06:00

According to an anonymous inside source who was involved in the testing of the system, the Xbox 360 had "purposefully cheap heat sinks" and was rushed just to beat Sony. The sinks were the reported cause of many RROD problems. Also adding to the pain is the chance that Microsoft may run out of replacement systems for those who had the dreaded rings.

This is of right now a rumor. If it is true, then Microsoft should be ashamed.

Source of article: Joystiq

Website of the Week: GameTrailers

2008-01-18T15:25:00.000-06:00

Imagine a website that has all of the following: previews, reviews, retrospectives, user-submitted content, and a bunch of other things on and about video games.

Well, no longer imagine. GameTrailers has all of that in one place. You will get video reviews, video previews, the ability to watch any video either in Standard Definition or High Definition. GameTrailers also features interviews with gaming luminaries and gives you an inside look at various industry events. I reccomend this website. Visit it often.

Website of the Week: GameTrailers

Directors Guild and Studios Reach Deal.

2008-01-18T14:43:00.000-06:00

Could the writers strike come to an end soon? It could. The Directors Guild reached a deal with major film and TV studios. The deal is likely to put pressure on the writers to end the strike, which is ten weeks old and hurting the industry badly.

Thoughts on Game Publishers Blacklisting Game Outlets for Bad Reviews.

2008-01-12T15:39:00.000-06:00

Honesty. Integrity. The ability and value of accurate, fair, and balanced reporting on the stories that shape our world to those who read or listen to those stories. This is the essence of journalism. The connection of trust that reporters and writers have with their viewers and readers is paramount in the profession. The apex, the top essence, the utmost requirement, the peak importance among other peak importances of that sacred trust is the integrity that the journalist has when reporting or writing about news stories, sporting events, or even tragedies and hostage situations. The integrity of a journalist means that the he or she will report the story with no bias. The journalist will cover elections without any sign of party siding, which means he or she will not show any sign of joy or disappointment while announcing the results of an election. The journalist will never take payment from an oil company that is abusing the environment if said journalist reports only on the good in which said oil company does. The journalist understands the essence of the sacred trust between the news company, whether it be a newspaper or a news channel, and the viewer, who pays for the newspaper subscription and the news channel. It is a trust that is sacred as the trust between spouses in a marriage. It is NEVER to be violated.

Sadly, journalistic integrity is hard to come by. They will only report on good things a company does because they are paid by said company or only report on the negative things a company does because they pay their rivals. A conservative newspaper, magazine, or news channel will cover scandals affecting liberals more than covering scandals on conservatives. Vice-versa applies to liberal journalistic outlets. The lack of journalistic integrity has detrimental consequences not only to the news organizations, but to those who trust said outlets. The viewers, listeners, and readers trust journalists like they trust a home security system with their possessions, their homes, their families, and their lives. Readers, listeners, and viewers depend on the news. They do not know what is exactly happening in Iraq. They do not know what is exactly happening with global warming. They do not know what is exactly going on with the economy. This is why we all depend on journalists to give us the news. The lack of integrity in a journalist is a violation of that sacred trust within the viewer.

One last stallion of integrity in journalism is the video game journalist and, more specifically, the video game reviewer. The video game reviewer is like a movie critic. They play the games and give a score based on many aspects of the game, which includes graphics, control, design, story, and audio. The game reviewer has a tall responsibility. They are responsible with honest and accurate critiques of the games so that no one wastes money on a video game with horrible gameplay or that no one misses out on a blockbuster that is game of the year noteworthy because a reviewer falsely claimed the overall gameplay was terrible. That is the paramount task game reviewers undertake. A vast number of gamers, including myself, consult game review scores in a purchase of a game. They claim that review scores are a chief factor in a purchasing decision. Game journalists understand this. They are gamers too. They, just like you and I, cringe at the thought of wasting money on a video game with graphics that give players eye strain. They lament the thought of spending fifty dollars of hard earned money on a game with controls that are more sluggish than FEMA was when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast. They especially wince at the idea of spending money on a game that is plagued with glitches that make the game unplayable.

The video game companies see things a different way.

Sadly and unfortunately, the integrity of game reviewers are now under attack. Not from the head of game magazines, game websites, or game channels, but from the developers and publishers of the games. I am not talking about all game companies. Just those who can not accept criticism, low scores, and the fact that the game is just not any good or any fun to play. This started last fall with the now-overhyped Playstation 3 dragon flight game "Lair". When the game received scores that ranged from mediocre to terrible, developer Factor 5 and publisher Sony sent a guide on how to review the game to nearly every outlet, whether it be magazine, website, or channel. Factor 5 and Sony were bashed for this childish act. The fact that they would stoop to such a low level is ridiculous and is the trigger, a cause, of public relations hell. The lengths of what a game company will do to game reviewers who truthfully give bad scores to games came to a head last month when long time Gamespot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann, the reviewer who gave "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" a perfect 10, which is the first and only game to get such a paramount honor from the website, was terminated when he gave the game "Kane & Lynch" a mediocre score. The publishers Eidos interactive, who had adverts for the game on Gamespot, threatened to pull their ads if Jeff was not terminated. This triggered a massive and vast anger from the entire gaming community, whether they be journalists or players. Many Gamespot readers gave abysmal reader reviews for the game as a protest against Gerstmann's termination. Those were quickly tarnished as well as Gerstmann's review. Many Gamespot subscribers ceased their subscriptions and even their staffers started to depart.

The game companies are in no position to bully game reviewers. They do not have the right nor the privilege to force a reviewers termination because of their honesty. This is the equivalent of a petulant little brat who does not take no for an answer. This is the equivalent of a child losing in a game and demanding a two out of three or a three out of five. This is the equivalent of one who responds to criticism in an inappropriate fashion. If game companies want good reviews or some of the hard-earned money of those who shell out the fifty dollars for such games, then they perhaps need to take a long look in the mirror and come to a realization. A realization in which a game company needs to accept the fact that in order to get great reviews and millions of copies of a game sold, they need to develop and tune the game to meet such lofty goals. The game companies are not to force game reviewers to sacrifice their integrity, the integrity that is essential for the trust between the reviewer and the reader. The reviewer should never have to lose his or her job because he or she was being honest, fair, and balanced. That is what Eidos did. Instead of taking criticism as a learning experience, they instead decided to go after Jeff, costing him his job in the process and giving Gamespot, CNet, and Eidos a publicity nightmare so treacherous, the publicists of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Brittany Spears would be unenviable of such a task. Even the PR department of Take-Two Interactive would not undergo such a hellish...well...hell. Jeff Gerstmann is an unfortunate victim of a company's ego vastly over-inflated and pride more foolish than that of our president.

To the game reviewers: stay strong and never budge. Your integrity is paramount in our trust we put in you. Your fairness and honesty is the peak difference in buying a game that is one of the greatest ever or a game that is one of the worst ever. Also to the CEOs of the gaming outlets: never give in to the demands of a game company. They are not to tell you how to run the magazine, website, or network. You run the ship, they do not. What the game companies do to your employees is nothing short of wrongful termination, which results in lawsuits. You can not fire journalists for being honest, fair, accurate, and balanced. That is what you hire your employees for. You do not fire your employees for doing their jobs. You do not fire them for what they do. They play a game thoroughly and give an honest critique of the game. The importance of integrity is something that can never...NEVER...be stressed enough. If you give in to the demands from a game company that is too egotistical to accept the fact that their game is bad, you will go through what Gamespot has to go through. The protests, the PR hell, the sudden departures of fellow co-workers who feel that if they do not lie and say a game is good when in fact it is a complete 180 from good, and paramount of all the loss of readers and viewers that are vital to your company as much as gasoline is vital to an automobile, as vital as oxygen and a heartbeat is to a human being. Do not do what Gamestop and CNet did to your employees.

The journalism profession has a sacred trust between the reporter and the listener, reader, or viewer. The utmost factor in that trust is integrity. The sacred trust is NEVER to be violated in any way imaginable. The game companies extorting good game reviews, holding reviewers hostage with their jobs for high scores and have no qualms for their termination, is nothing short of a dispicalbe and selfish act.

Good night and good luck.

Website of the Week: Newgrounds

2008-01-11T16:47:00.000-06:00

Flash movies are funny as hell and flash games give players something to pass the time at work (NOT condoning) while giving up and coming programmers a chance to learn basic programming skills.

Flash game/movie sites are abound on the internet, but none are as known and have not as many flash works other than Newgrounds. Founded and run by Tom Fulp, Newgrounds hosts various flash movies and games. The flash movies on this site parody many things, from Anime to Video Games, which are hilarious. Many flash artists also got their start on Newgrounds. Go there, now!

Website of the Week: Newgrounds

A Timeline of "The Legend of Zelda" Video Game Series According to The Outlet. SPOILERS

2008-01-10T14:50:00.000-06:00

The Legend of Zelda chronological timeline is one of the most debated topics in video games. Fans of the series have always debated which game came first, second, or last. Many rumors abounded and suggestions have been made.

After lengthy and strong consideration and thinking, I have came up with my own chronological timeline of the series. This is my own thought and you may disagree.

Before I begin, "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" has two endings. One ending takes place when the adult Link going back to his own time. Another ending has young Link leaving the temple of time and the fairy Navi flies away. This results in a dual-timeline: one after the end of the game and another after the older Link is transported back to his original time. Another reason why the "Ocarina of Time" is first is because Zelda and Link did not know each other.

Without further ado, here is "The Legend of Zelda" series timeline.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (end of game)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
3. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
5. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
6. The Legend of Zelda
7. Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
8. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
9. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (after Link is sent back to original time)
2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
3. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

This is my iteration of the Zelda timeline. You may agree or disagree. This is still an open debate and will be for some time to come.

Maybe Nintendo did not intend a chronological story for the series and put gameplay ahead of a story line.

Writers Strike Cancels Golden Globes Ceremony.

2008-01-09T09:30:00.000-06:00

The Hollywood Writers Strike, which is in its ninth week, continues to cause shockwaves throughout the TV and Film Industries. The strike now has struck award ceremonies as well.

The Golden Globes ceremony now has been scrapped. There will be no acceptance speeches and no red carpet pre-show. A press conference will replace the ceremony.

A This and That About Commentaries.

2008-01-09T09:13:00.000-06:00

Whenever something big occurs or when I feel that I have to speak my mind, I let it out in the form of my commentaries. When I do a commentary, I speak my mind. I am NOT taking any political side when I do a political commentary. I am NOT favoring Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft when I do a commentary on game systems. I am NOT favoring a team or sport when I do a sports commentary.

Most of all:
MY COMMENTARIES ARE MY OPINIONS ONLY.
THEY ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF FACT AND SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN AS STATEMENTS OF FACT.

You may agree or disagree with my commentaries. If you agree, I am glad. If you don't agree, that is fine. All I ask is that you read my commentaries and I hope at least that you think about it.

Comments on Fox News Excluding Presidential Candidate Ron Paul (R-TX) From New Hampshire Republican Forum.

2008-01-08T10:42:00.000-06:00

First off, there are videos that I would love to embed into this commentary, but I'm sorry to say that I have not mastered embedding YouTube videos into my blog yet. Now to the commentary.

He has raised as much money as senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL). He stands for what conservatives stand for. He leads former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson (R) in The Granite State.

He is Congressman and Republican Presidential Candidate Ron Paul (R-TX).

Ron Paul is in many ways a typical conservative. He never voted in favor of raising taxes. In fact, he even wants to abolish federal taxes and the IRS. Representative Paul also voted against an unbalanced budget. He doesn't partake in congressional pension plans and never took a government paid junket. Representative Paul stands for what the average conservative stands for. However, he is against one thing that all of the opposing Republican candidates stand for...the war in Iraq. Ron Paul voted against the Iraq War, stating that wars that are undelcared against an enemy that is not specified can not be won.

The Fox News Channel hosted a Republican Presidential Forum last Sunday that included former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, senator John McCain (AZ), former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson. Representative Ron Paul did not attend. Why?

Because Fox News excluded the Texas congressman from the forum.

Why did Fox bar Dr. Paul from the forum? He is ahead of Thompson in New Hampshire and raised almost as much money as Clinton and Obama, which is more than the rest of the Republican candidates. Was it because the studio was too small? Well, if you watched the forum like I did, it looks like there was more than enough room for an extra chair. You can not tell me and those who watched the forum that Fox could not add the Texas Representative. There was no reason for Fox to exclude someone that stands for conservative values, someone that Fox News seems to favor. It is his stance on the war in Iraq that got Dr. Paul booted. Ron Paul supporters were angry at this. They even chased after Fox News commentator Sean Hannity in a furious rage and rightfully so.

Ron Paul is not some liberal that loves to increase taxes. He is not someone who favors big government that wants to spy on its own people. He has voted for lesser government and against excessive spending and government regulation. These are the values of conservatives. They do not want large taxes. They do not want the government to spy on their own people. He is the perfect conservative.

His stance against the Iraq War is the reason why he has many supporters. The massive voter turnout at the Iowa Caucuses is a message to all presidential candidates that the American People are sick of this war. Ron Paul understands this. He understands the needs and wants of the American People. He is against the same thing that cost the Republicans control of capitol hill. Ron Paul is a smart politician, favors conservative values, and understands what the proud citizens of this great country want.

Fox News (I am reluctant to call them a news organization) should be embarrassed and ashamed. If they call themselves fair and balanced, they would let Representative Paul into the forum. This is in no way how a news organization conducts themselves. They owe Ron Paul, his family, his supporters, the New Hampshire voters, and all of their viewers a sincere apology. I am calling on Rupert Murdoch, head of Fox News' parent company News Corporation, to condemn this inexcusable, embarrassing, and childish act. How this joke of a news channel (I am a former viewer) gets higher ratings than MSNBC or CNN is sickening. Why people watch this channel is beyond me. This is the same network that won a case years ago that said that lying to their viewers is their right under the constitution.

I accuse Fox News of deliberately editing Democrats to make them look bad. I accuse Fox News of adding inappropriate images to serious news stories. I accuse Fox News of sensationalizing tragedies and hostage situations. I accuse Fox News of their lies on global warming, even after their parent company decided to go green (I also accuse Al Gore on his hypocrisy of the issue, but that is another story). Most of all, I accuse Fox News of only favoring those who are in favor of the Iraq War, a now-needless attack on Iran, and of the Bush Administration's Iraq policy, which is an utter failure. Everyone at that network owes those involved with the Ron Paul campaign, Ron Paul himself, his family, his supporters, and the voters in the state of New Hampshire an apology. Also, Roger Ailles, the CEO of Fox News, should take this disgrace seriously and make drastic changes. If he fails, he should step down or be fired. In fact, if I were a member of Fox News, I would resign immediately because of this bush league act.

Ron Paul deserves much better than this. Fox News should be ashamed. They embarrassed themselves and the profession of journalism with this controversy.

Good night, and good luck.

LSU Defeats OSU to Win College Football National Championship

2008-01-08T10:08:00.000-06:00

New Orleans was the place to be last night...if you are a Louisiana State Tigers fan. The Tigers defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 38-24 last night to win the Bowl Championship Series title. LSU became the first two-loss (both in overtime) team to win the title and also became the fist team in the BCS era (started in1998) to win the BCS championship twice (USC's 2003 national championship was from the AP, not from the BCS).

Ohio State accumulated seven penalties. Five of those were personal fouls (15 yards each and automatic first downs). The Buckeyes are now 0-9 in bowl games against the SEC.

Geaux Tigers.

Website of the Week: The Super Flash Bros.

2008-01-04T16:38:00.000-06:00

The Super Flash Brothers (named after the video game "Super Smash Bros.") are known for their flash cartoons such as the "Decline of Video Gaming" series and for their flash games like "Detective Grimore". Founded and run by brothers Tom and Adam "Dim" Vian, the Super Flash Bros website not only features the flash movies and games, but also a blog-like front page and a forum section.

I recommend that you see these movies and play the games from this site when you get the chance. You will have a fun time.

Website of the week: The Super Flash Bros.

Mega Man-Themed Parody of Vancouver Taser Tragedy Sparks Outrage from RCMP.

2008-01-04T11:03:00.000-06:00

Look at this story on GamePolitics.com and watch the video.

The RCMP is in no position to be outraged at this. They tasered an innocent Polish immigrant, who could not understand English, to death. Instead of using restraint or getting the help of a translator, one of which was in the airport, the over-zealous airport security and law enforcement simply decided to get trigger-happy with their tasers and killed an innocent man.

The RCMP needs a long look in the mirror.

Huckabee, Obama win GOP/DEM Iowa Caucuses.

2008-01-04T10:47:00.000-06:00

The Iowa Caucus last night featured two upsets. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) won the Democratic Caucus with 38% of the vote, while former senator John Edwards (D-NC) finished second with 30% of the vote. New York senator Hillary Clinton (D) finished third with 29% of the vote.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) won the GOP caucus with 35% of the vote, finishing far ahead of second place Mitt Romney (R), former governor of Massachusetts, who got only 24% of the vote.

The Outlet's Top Ten Stories of 2007.

2007-12-31T19:04:00.000-06:00

First thing's first. Some of you...okay, all three of you...might have been wondering what happened to the Website of the Week? It will return January 4th. Now to the article.

The Outlet has only been around for little more than a month. However, the editor has a damn good memory of what happened in 2007. I took the unenviable (and difficult) task of narrowing my picks to ten, and I did it. You may not agree with my picks. That is fine.

I give you my top ten stories of the year.

10. The writers strike- Starting last month, the writers for the late-night comedy shows (Letterman, Leno, and O'Brien), sit-coms, dramas, and film walked from their jobs and to the picket lines, thus shutting down production of many shows and movies. This was the result of bickering between the writers and producers over money from internet shows. The strike still goes on, but the late-night shows will return on January 2nd.

9. College football upsets- Starting with Appalachian State's victory over Michigan on the first week of the season, upsets were the story in college football this year. Many once-thought improbable upsets became reality and the BCS was once again thrown into a mess.

8. NIE Report- Iran was once thought to be enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. However, according to sixteen intel agencies, Iran stopped enrichment in 2003. This caused outrage and broke my trust in the Bush Administration.

7. Minnesota Bridge Collapse- In August, a river bridge, as a result of faulty maintainence, collapsed into the Mississippi River, shutting down a major accessway and killing 9 people. This tragedy made the nation think about bridge safety.

6. Sports Scandals- See Tim Doneghey, Barry Bonds, Michael Vick, and Adam "Pacman" Jones.

5. Don Imus canned, then back on air- The day after the Women's College Basketball Championship between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, radio show host Don Imus called the Rutgers players, who lost the game, "nappy-headed hos". The comments sparked outrage from Women's groups and the African-American community. Led by the Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, Don Imus was canned by MSNBC and CBS Radio. Eight months later, Don Imus was back on the radio.

4. Celebrities behaving badly- See Linday Lohan, Paris Hilton, and (Do I need to mention?) Britany Spears. Also see Chris Crocker's "Leave Britany Alone" video.

3. Global Warming (and its hypocrits)- See Live Earth and Al Gore.

2. Chinese Recalls- See toy recalls and pet food recalls.

1. Virginia Tech Shootings- On April 16, just 4 days before the 8th anniversary of the Columbine Massacre, Virginia Tech student Cho Seung-Hui opened fire on the campus, killing a total of 32 students and faculty before killing himself. The Virginia Tech shootings had all campuses across the nation thinking and revamping security measures. A blue-ribbon panel investigation led by Governor Tim Kaine (D) determined that the campus failed miserably in the prevention of the killings and the security of the campus. Lawsuits have been filed and more are sure to follow.

These are the Outlet's ten stories of the year. 2008 is sure to be a busy one at The Outlet with a pivitol and crucial presidential election coming up. I am also looking forward to the NFL Playoffs, fallout from The Mitchell Report, fallout from the Barry Bonds indictment, and the future of TV and Film as a result of the writers strike. Bring on 2008.

Good night, and good luck.

Comments on New England Patriot's Undefeated Season.

2007-12-31T12:02:00.000-06:00

Perfection. It is something that very few achieve. Whether it is a student graduating with a 4.00 GPA or a sports team finishing a season undefeated, perfection doesn't come easy and it involves determination and dedication. Perfection is a grand task in anything a human beign or a team does. It should be respected and admired.

Undefeated seasons have happened in college sports (many in college football and even in college basketball), but a professional team finishing a season without a loss is something that I thought I may never see in my lifetime. The NBA, NHL, and MLB seasons are about six months long and the NFL season, while only having 16 games in 17 weeks, is exhausting. Going unbeaten in a professional sports season with all the talent and experience that those players have is an astonishing task and something that may never occur in real life.

The realization of a professional sports team finishing a season undefeated happened last Saturday night when the NFL's New England Patriots beat the New York Giants to end their season without a loss. The Patriots finished an accomplishment for the first time since 1972 when the Miami Dolphins went 14-0.

My congratulations go to the Patriots. Finishing an NFL season undefeated is an amazing task that requires effort, dedication, and teamwork. They had all of that. The Patriots should be proud of themselves. They finished a goal, a feat, and an accomplishment that may never be seen again. I have a new respect for the Patriots despite the cheating scandal from the first game against the New York Jets.

With all that said, the Patriots have a taller task ahead of them: to win the Super Bowl. Finishing a regular season unbeaten is a tremendous accomplishment, but it will mean little or nothing if they lose in the playoffs. This is a taller task too, since unlike the NBA, NHL, or MLB, the NFL playoffs are one game; either win or go home.

The New England Patriots should be commended for their achievement. However, they now need to win the Super Bowl. If not, their undefeated season will either be tainted or be forgotten. That said though, finishing a season 16-0 is a grand accomplishment.

Go Patriots!

New York Governor Elliot Spitzer (D) Uses Hoax Site in Presentation.

2007-12-19T14:40:00.000-06:00

Read this article on GamePolitics. The article has a link to the presentation.

In a nutshell, the presentation is nothing more than propaganda and scare-tactics, not to mention that one of the sources used, a website called "Mothers Against Videogame Addiction and Violence", is a hoax site created by an NYC design school student.

Politicians going this low not only to scare parents and to take advantage of single-parents, but also to pass legislation (Governor Spitzer backs a game sales restriction bill) that has been declared unconstitutional nearly ten times is not only unacceptable to the people that elected said politicians, but is also defamatory of the enitre videogame industry and gamers themselves. Tens or hundreds of thousands of the hard-working citizens' tax dollars have been wasted on excessively-flawed bills, most of them being passed with false information and scare tactics that Governor Spitzer is using. It is just sad that the people we trust, those who we elect, those who have heard the people say we believe in you and we trust you with our future are stooping to this level.

Governor Spitzer should know better.

Good night, and good luck.

Comments on Mitchell Report and Steroid Use.

2007-12-14T12:35:00.000-06:00

First off, I want to say that I'm still here. I got bogged down with college finals and holiday shopping. Now to the article.

Baseball. It is America's pastime. Many Americans, including myself, have gone to at least one baseball game, whether it may be a minor league game or a major league game. Those who went to baseball games have special memories. It could be watching a manager (the head coach in pro baseball) argue with an umpire or even watching a home run. The home run is what baseball fans want to see. The loud smack of the ball being smashed by the bat grabbed the crowd's attention and they would stare in astonishment as it flew at times into the second or third decks. Kids looked up to them as heroes or role models. We all had baseball players as heroes and idols. We thought they could do no wrong. We all thought that the players had integrity.

Sadly, we thought wrong.

The use of anabolic steroids was thought to be a small issue in Baseball. That was until the BALCO scandal broke in 2003. The lab, owned and operated by Victor Conte, was busted and he went to jail for distribution of illicit steroids. The scandal also targeted Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds just to name a few. Barry Bonds denied involvement and said that he never took steroids knowingly. He is now indicted for perjury.

The steroid issue got worse on Valentine's Day in 2005 when Jose Conseco's book "Juiced" hit store shelves. The book outed alleged steroid users such as Raphael Palmero and Mark McGuire. Canseco and his book was dismissed as false. However, a senate hearing was called on St. Patrick's Day that same year on that very issue. The testimony of McGuire ("I'm not here to talk about the past"), Sosa ("I don't speak English"), and Palmero ("I have never taken steroids...period") changed the public's view of Canseco and his supposed lies. Needless to say, the testimony from the players, the MLB commissioner Bud Selig, and the Player's Association executive director Donald Fher was not satisfactory for the senators. They demanded far stronger penalties for positive drug tests. MLB adopted the new policy later that year. Also later that same year, Raphael Palmero tested positive for a banned substance less than half a year removed from the senate hearing. The news gave Canseco even more credibility and nearly got Palmero indicted by the feds for perjury. That dark year for baseball got even worse with the release of the book "Game of Shadows", which fingered Barry Bonds for use of steroids.

This leads us all to the steroids investigation in Baseball. Headed by former senator George Mitchell, this investigation took nearly a year and a half. It was to recommend that baseball take stricter steps with steroid and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) testing and also named those who received, purchased, or have taken steroids. Yesterday, the completed report was released. About 80 names were mentioned, including Roger Clemons, Barry Bonds, and a lot of other current or former players.

Despite the report's recommendations, I say those named in the report should be punished. Although the report didn't say that those named took steroids and HGH, let's have common sense here. When was the last time that someone didn't use what they purchased or received as a gift? I never buy something that I don't intend to use. THOSE NAMED IN THE REPORT SHOULD HAVE THEIR RECORDS ERASED PERIOD!!! I don't care what records, games, and which World Series will be affected. It would not be inconceivable to think that an entire season could have been effected by those who took steroids. Recently, disgraced track star.Marion Jones had to return her medals and accept a 2-year ban from the IOC after admitting that she had taken illicit substances. Her records were erased from the books. Why can't MLB do the same thing?

The players association is also at fault for this scandal. In 2002, they would not agree to drug testing as a part of a new labor deal. If a new deal wasn't made, a strike (2nd within a decade) will result. They claimed that it was a violation of privacy. What a load of crap. When I took a job last summer which had nothing to do with anything athletic, I had to take a urine test. The players should do the same. If they had nothing to hide, they should take the test. I am a supporter of the forth amendment, but if they want to prove their innocence, they should submit to an advanced test for any drug use.

I'm sorry to say that I no longer trust any records in Major League Baseball. This entire scandal is the fault of the players and the players union. They fought for their "right" to shoot themselves up with the cream and the clear. They fought for their "right" to take the HGH. Now they are paying dearly for it. Do I need to say "you reap what you sow"? The players not suing the authors of "Game of Shadows" or Jose Canseco, as well as not suing the sources and the writers of the report, are also adding to the suspicion.

Earlier in this post, I said that those named should have their records erased. They should also be banned from the Baseball hall of fame. If Pete Rose and Joe Jackson got banned from the hall of fame for betting on the game, why can't the ones who cheated also be banned. Cheating on the game is worse than betting on it. Unlike the gambling scandals that affected a team and an individual, this scandal is affecting an entire institution and a sport. The legitimacy about a player's accomplishments and his steroid test history should be a factor in determining acceptance into the hall. If not, then I think the hall of fame thinks that gambling is bad while steroid usage is not.

I also have one last topic to bring up: the race card. STOP IT! This is not about race in any way, shape, or form. This is about those who cheat to break records and to win games in an illegitimate fashion.

This is the worst scandal in Baseball history period. The integrity of the game, what little it had left, is gone. It will remain gone until MLB and the Player's Union can agree on a detailed test that can detect any performance-enhancing drug in any way, whether it be by urine or blood. The players must undergo the test once a month administered by those independent from the team. If the player skips the test or fails it, they should face a one year ban. A second failed or missed test should result in a permenant ban without the possibility of reinstatement. The policy should also have no statute of limitations. This means that the first failed test sticks with the player for the rest of his life. These may be harsh measures, but it may be necessary to earn my trust in the game again. Steroid use in all of athletics needs to stop. Kids look up to athletes as role models. They are their heroes.

Let us never forget the quote "Say it ain't so, Joe".

Good night, and good luck.

Website of the Week: GamePolitics

2007-12-14T11:57:00.000-06:00

Video games have either been praised or targeted by politicians since the dawn of the industry. Some politicians applaud the game industry while others try to legislate against it. Although most gamers say that politicians need to ignore the issue, I say the issue can't be ignored.

Game sites report on political stories surrounding games, but one site is dedicated to the matter of the political side of games: GamePolitics.com

The editor and creator is Dennis McCauley, a games columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. His site has been praised by various news outlets and cited by watchdog groups. Dennis McCauley has also been featured in Next Generation's 50 most influential game journalists.

GamePolitics features stories about game legislation, the perception of games in the mainstream media, watchdog groups, and game charities among others. This site also broke the story of the infamous Hot Coffee mod in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. This site also allows the readers to post relpies to the stories (my post name is Buckeye 531).

Website of the Week: GamePolitics

Comments on NIE report on Iran's nuke program.

2007-12-07T13:11:00.000-06:00

When I heard reports on the news about Iran enriching uranium, I was concerned. Iran's president, Mahmoud Amadineajead, is an unstable and insane human beign. This is a person who denies the Holocaust and repeatedly rants about how he would love to destroy the nation of Isreal. I could only think that he would enrich uranium to start or continue to develop a nuclear weapon. His disdain for the West and America are well-known and well-documented. A nuclear weapon in the hands of a madman is nothing short of a horrifying reality and will more than likely result in hell on Earth. Despite excessive sanctions from the United Nations, Iran remained undeterred and continued to enrich uranium, essentially spitting in the face of the international community.

...or so we thought.

Earlier this week, the National Intelligence Estimate released a report that says Iran ended their uranium enrichment program. Not recently, not a month ago, not even several months ago...for four years! That is correct. Iran's uranium enrichment program was halted in 2003 according not only to the NIE, but to fifteen other intelligence agencies. This is not one or two agencies. Sixteen! A total of sixteen agencies said that Iran halted their uranium enrichment program. President Bush held a news coference about the new report. He said that he only got knowledge of the report on November 28.

Should we believe him? Of couse we could. However, if anyone paid close attention to the President's comments, he changes his wording about Iran and their uranium enrichment throughout the summer and into the fall and winter with a three day pause in August. Why would he want to change his rhetoric and words drastically in less than half a week's time? Is there something going on in the White House? What is behind the change in the President's words? Was he given the NIE report in August? I gave him a slight benefit of a doubt. That was until a former national security council member told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann that, in a nutshell, the President knew about the intelligence report on Iran, but he (the President) continued to warn about Iran and their attempts to get a nuclear weapon. President Bush even said that World War 3 will result if Iran's attempt to get a nuclear missle were successful even after he got the intel report.

I am stunned and appaled. I feel lied to and been put through unfounded and unwarranted fear. The efforts of placing tougher sanctions on Iran will fall apart due to the Administration's deliberate attempts to get this nation into another war, costing this nation even more of our brave men and women, costing more of our tax dollars, and further straining of our military's resources. The members of the Bush Administration at the least should tell the American people what really happened. However, that will not be enough for President Bush and for Vice President Cheney. I'm calling for a congressional investigation into the matter and into the intentions of these two. I, along with the American people that put these politicians in their seats, want to know what the hell is going on. We all have a right to know.

I trusted President Bush. I trusted his reasons to go to war in Iraq. My vote for him was a statement that I had confidence in him. My confidence in him in his second term was already shakey and this intel report made said confidence hit the breaking point. In fact, it surpassed that point. I supported him, his reasons to go into Iraq, and his re-election. Now, I regret it. I fully regret it. This nation is now stuck in a war that no one knows how to get out of, and the thought that the President and the White House to lie to the citizens of this great country to get into a military conflict with Iran is beyond dispicable.

Iran is a threat, was a threat, and will always be a threat as long as Amadineajaed is still in power. Courtesy of the lies put out by the White House, Iran is now a much larger threat. If Iran continues their uranium enrichment, the international community, especially Russia and China, will no longer have faith in this nation and may not support further sanctions. This should be grounds for an investigation of the White House and possilby an impeachment of the President and the Vice President. The Administration put this entire nation in further danger by warning all of us about an enrichment program that was suspended for nearly half a decade. I'm calling on all politicians regardless of party or partisanship, to condemn this vile act. The American public and the international community should never have to go through this. We should not be in fear of a threat that didn't exist since 2003. This is yet another lie of this reckless and thoughtless President and Vice President. These two as well as the rest of the administration should be investigated. If need be, they should be impeached. If convicted, they should be removed from office and put in jail.

Good night, and good luck.

Thoughts on XBox 360 hardware failures, other design flaws, and a lack of common sense.

2007-12-06T12:57:00.000-06:00

Microsoft's video game console the Xbox 360 has hit games like Gears of War and Halo 3, It also has reported frequent hardware failures, including, but not exclusive to, the Red Rings of Death, a 3/4 ring around the switch that is indicative of a fatal hardware error. If this occurs, the system will not operate again and must be sent to repair services. Seems simple enough, but when your second 360 fails (this has happened), you have to wonder to yourself what the hell is going on? If Microsoft says they fixed the system or sent you a replacement, then why does it crap up again? Even the Elite 360s get the rings of death. I thought the XBox 360 Elite would've had this problem fixed, but I guess I was wrong.

Another thing I find agonizing is that 360 owners had their console die after the warranty expires. That means the owners would have to pay for repairs or for a replacement. The cost could be from $100 to $150. What the hell?! My Gamecube cost me $100 (without game and RF switch), my PS2 (thin unit) and my Nintendo DS (the original) cost me $150 each. Even my DS Lite, which I purchased less than a year after release, cost me $130. I bought four systems at a price range from $100 to $150 individually. A basic 360 costs $270. If it fails after warranty (which to Microsoft's credit they extended), you are screwed. You will have to pay anywhere from 37% to 55% of the basic unit's price. If the complaints from 360 owners are true and the replacement or repaired units are also crashing, who will pay such a price again and again. What the hell is going on Microsoft?

The 360's woes don't end there. The early units also scratch up discs (YouTube videos prove this). This is believed to be the result of a lack of padding around the DVD lens. Excuse me? Didn't Microsoft know this? What's up with that? Were the manufacturers drunk? This is laughable. It is truly pathetic for a rich company like Microsoft not to do anything about this before the system's initial launch in 2005. Inexcusable and unacceptable in every sense of those words. Microsoft, Peter Moore, and Bill Gates should have known better. These weren't minor scratches either. These scratches were thick, easily visible, and difficult to clean without going to a store and spending money to get it buffered. Just sad. My Gamecube and PS2 doesn't scratch discs and neither does the Wii nor the PS3. You should know damn better Microsoft.

I also have other hardware issues to take up with Microsoft. Where the hell is backwards compatability? I mean right out of the box backwards compatability. The PS3 and the Wii have backwards compatability with their past systems without the use of any on-line process. When you get your Wii or Playstation 3, as soon as you hook it up to your TV, you can put your Gamecube disc or your Playstation 2 disc in their respective systems and play right away. Why isn't it that simple Microsoft? Why can't it be?

The problems and complaints go on. Why do I have to buy extra equipment and an XBox Live subscription of $70/year while the Wii and PS3 have free online play ready out of the box? Why the hell does the richest company in the world need more money and to charge for online connectivity? What would I rather have: the ability to play Halo 3 online at a cost of $70/year or to play games like WarHawk online or online games for the Wii for free? Common sense Microsoft, please?

The Xbox 360 should be better than what it is now. It should not be scratching up discs. It should not be having hardware failures. It should be backwards compatable out of the box. It should have Wi-Fi right out of the box and for free. Had Microsoft waited a year to test the system or were not too cheap to do so, the XBox 360 would not have it's problems. I can see why Hideo Kojima won't put MGS 4 on the 360. The same goes for Square Enix with Final Fantasy XIII. Who would want to buy a game for a system that has hardware problems and design flaws? Not me.

Nintendo and Sony should be laughing at Microsoft. The PS3 has more advanced technology than the 360 and it doesn't have hardware failures (or not to the extent of the 360). It also has everything built in to the system that 360 owners will need to buy in order to take full advantage of their system. The lowering of the basic PS3's price to $400 should also be a selling point to those undecided between the 360 or the PS3. The Wii also has superiorites to the 360. The Wiimote allows for more precise aiming in FPS games than analog sticks. This is why the control and aiming in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is better than Halo 3. Also, the Wii has free on-line play and a better download service than the 360.

I was looking forward to buying an XBox 360, but the thought of the numerous hardware failures and spending lots of money for those repairs or replacements is a turn off. I can't believe that the world's richest company is cheap enough to put out a machine with costly online play, lack of built-in backwards compatability, lack of built in online equipment, lack of other hardware built-in to the PS3 and the Wii. and an overall terrible hardware design with dated technology, costing many 360 owners money and grief. My brother has an Xbox 360 since December 2005. It was a basic unit and it hasn't had any hardware problems. He is lucky, that's all I can say.

Look, I know the PS3 has (or had) a steep price. Yes, it is expensive. However, you get all the things that the 360 owners need to take full advantage of their system and it has free on-line play. It also is a reliable system. It is also designed by a company that has far more hardware and console design experience than Microsoft. What would you, as a consumer, prefer? A $270 system that is known for and prone to hardware failures (and having a crappy customer and repair service) or a $400 system that has no widespread reports of critical failures? I'd pick the latter (if it were between the PS3 and the Wii, I'd pick the Wii, but that's another story). I was looking forward to owning an XBox360. It is a damn shame that the system, with a great game line up, has numerous design flaws. Microsoft is the richest company in the world. They had the resources, but were too damn cheap to use them.

In the words of the late Edward R. Murrow: "Good night, and good luck".

IGN top 100 out; Super Mario Bros. #1

2007-12-03T16:22:00.000-06:00

IGN. com recently released their (what I believe to be) annual top 100 games of all time list. I agree with the games listed, but I believe Final Fantasy VII was underrated. Nevertheless, a great list.

Super Mario Brothers took the top spot as well as it should. Had it not been for this game, video games would be extinct. Regardless of preferences, everyone who considers themselves a true gamer should own a copy of the game and play it every chance they get.

You can see the list here.

Gamespot reviewer fired for bad review? Yes, he has.

2007-11-30T13:46:00.000-06:00

According to internet message boards and other sources, Gamespot's longtime editor Jeff Gerstmann was fired for a mediocre review of the video game "Kane & Lynch". The reasoning for the firing is rumored to be advertisement pressure from the game's developer and publisher Eidos Interactive.

If the review and advertiser pressuring are the sole reasons behind Jeff's firing, this is just a sorry episode for Eidos Interactive and for CNET, the parent company of Gamespot. It will terminate the credibility not only of Gamespot's reviewers, but the reviewers that work for other outlets. No advertiser or company has the right to push reviewers and media outlets around.

Source: GamePolitics

UPDATE: GameRevolution's Duke Ferris confirms that Jeff Gerstmann was fired due to pressure from Eidos. You can see his comments at the Gamepolitics link.

Unbelieveable. This is just a damn shame. Eidos and CNET has crushed the credibility of reviewers not only at Gamespot, but also the reviewers at other sites. I feel badly for Jeff and I hope he can take legal action against CNET and Eidos for pretty much wrecking his career and his life.

I am also sorry to say that I will no longer contribute to GameFAQs, which is connected to Gamespot. This is a protest to this sad episode.

Broadway Stagehand Strike Ends

2007-11-29T16:34:00.000-06:00

After 19 days, many shows cancelled, and millions of dollars lost, the strike between the Broadway producers and the stagehands comes to an end.

I'm glad this dispute is resolved. This strike was hitting restaraunts and tourism very badly.

Now let's see if the television writers and producers follow suit (I miss Jay Leno).

A this and that about the CNN/YouTube Republican Presidential Debate.

2007-11-29T14:43:00.000-06:00

Aftet watching (some parts) of the Republican presidential debate, I can't pick out a winner. All I can say is that there was a lot of back and forth insults and whatnot. I did see somethings that I want to hit on, though.

I am disappointed with former NYC mayor Rudy Guliani's insults, most of which were directed at former MA governor Mitt Romney. I expect better from the former mayor and the crowd let him know about it.

Another topic that struck me was the use of torture. I approve the use of torture as a last resort to get crucial information out of imprisoned terrorists. Information that can save the lives of so many Americans. However, Senator John McCain (AZ) made very good points about not using torture. He was a prisoner of the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. McCain recalled the horrible experience and wouldn't want the same for the terrorists held. I can see his point, but given how far the terrorists will go to kill America, I have to disagree.

In the end, there was no winner in my opinion.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl looking awesome

2007-11-28T16:23:00.000-06:00

I trust that all of you Super Smash Bros. Brawl fanatics are keeping up with the updates from the game's website? The characters, stages, moves, music, items, and all of the game modes look incredible. I simply can't wait to get this game (and a Nintendo Wii). Another thing that is incredible (and conveiniant is the fact that you can use the GameCube controller with the game. Those who mastered Super Smash Bros. Melee will easily pick up Brawl.

The game is set for release in Febuary 2008 (hopefully).

It should also be noted that Nintendo's website has undergone a facelift. More on that later.

BBFC says no link between games and violence, but defends ban of Manhunt 2 video game.

2007-11-27T10:06:00.000-06:00

The British Board of Film Classification, the United Kingdom's ratings board for films and video games, refused a rating for the video game "Manhunt 2" last summer. That means that the game is banned from the UK. Even the edited version, which was downgraded from an "Adult's Only" rating to a "Mature" rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, was refused classification. The BBFC's reasoning behind the refusal is the fear that children might imitate the violence in the game.

However, the BBFC admits there is no proven connection between video games and violence. Andrew Caldecott, the attorney for the ratings board, says, "The board's position is that there is insufficient evidence to prove, as a fact, there is a casual connection between video games and behavioural harm...".

So let me get this straight. The BBFC refuses classification to a game on the grounds that it may turn the young ones violent, but they have no factual proof. This is just the BBFC throwing their weight around and shoving their moral beliefs down the throats of the British citizens. I feel bad and sorry for Rockstar and Take-Two (the developers and publishers of the game). They deserve better than this.

Source: Kotaku

You can read about the appeal here.

Republican presidential candidate enorsed by Nevada brothel...What?!

2007-11-27T07:53:00.000-06:00

You can't make this up. Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX) has been endorsed by Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Carson City, Nevada.

All I can say is wow. It is not everyday that a politician, especially a Republican, is endorsed by a brothel. Ron Paul, however, does not condone prostitution according to spokesperson Jeff Greenspan.

Source: Associated Press and www.azstarnet.com.

Review for "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King" on GameFAQs.com.

2007-11-26T18:15:00.000-06:00

My review for the PlayStation 2 RPG "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King" is available to read on GameFAQs.

You can read it here.
You can read other reviews I did for GameFAQs.com here.

NOTE: My contributor name on GameFAQs is general531.

Hawthorne Heights guitarist Casey Calvert dead at age 26.

2007-11-26T15:31:00.000-06:00

The rock group Hawthorne Heights lost a young and talented guitarist. Casey Calvert passed away at age 26. The group was on tour when he was found unconscious on the tour bus by local law enforcement. The cause of death is unknown and an autopsy is underway.

Casey Calvert was a great guitarist and he will be missed.

The story is from VH1.com.

Kevin DuBrow found dead in Las Vegas home at age 52.

2007-11-26T15:05:00.000-06:00

A sad day not only in heavy metal, but in all of music. Kevin DuBrow, lead singer of the 1980s heavy metal band "Quiet Riot", was found dead in his Las Vegas home. The band was known for mega-hits such as "Bang Your Head" and the cover of Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize". Kevin DuBrow was 52. The cause of death is unknown and an autopsy will take place.

This is according to Reuters.

Kevin DuBrow is a talented rocker and singer. He and his voice will be sorely missed.

Arkansas Razorback football coach Houston Nutt resigns.

2007-11-26T14:01:00.000-06:00

Three days after defeating the formerly top-ranked (BCS) Louisiana State Tigers in triple overtime, the University of Arkansas offered head football coach Houston Nutt a 2-year extension. Despite the offer, Houston Nutt resigned from the school. It was a mutual decision between him and the administration. He ends a decade-long tenure with a 75-48 overall record, a 42-38 SEC record, and three SEC Western division crowns in 1998, 2002, and 2006 (0-2 in SEC Championship games).

Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring will be the interim head coach for their upcoming bowl game.

NOTE: The Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Arkansas Razorbacks tied for the division title in 1998. Because Mississippi State beat Arkansas that season, the Bulldogs went to the conference title game.

Jack Thompson goes on ethics trial, faces disbarrment.

2007-11-26T13:29:00.000-06:00

Controversial attorney and anti-video game activist Jack Thompson faces the Florida Bar in a hearing that can result in either a temporary or permanent disbarrment. He is on trial before Judge Dave Tunis due to his actions in court cases against the video game industry. One such action got him kicked off a civil lawsuit and a termination of his pro hac vice (license to practice law in other states) in Alabama.

In my opinion, he at least could be temporarily disbarred. Jack's actions, especially the aforementioned act and his actions after losing an attempt to get the video game Bully declared a public nuisance (which would outlaw sales), are an example of how not to act professionally. He should be glad he was not found in contempt and thrown in jail.

The story is from GamePolitics.com.

Missouri Tigers new no.1 in new BCS standings.

2007-11-25T19:34:00.000-06:00

The new Bowl Championship Series standings are now released and there has been a shakeup. The Missouri Tigers are the new number 1 in the BCS standings courtesy of their win over the then BCS no. 2 Kansas Jayhawks and the Arkansas Razorback's upset victory over the Louisiana State Tigers in triple overtime. LSU was the previous number 1 in the BCS.

The BCS top five as of this posting (BCS averages are from ESPN).

Missouri Tigers (0.978 BCS average)
West Virginia Mountaineers (0.971 BCS average)
Ohio State Buckeyes (0.920 BCS average)
Georgia Bulldogs (0.827 BCS average)
Kansas Jayhawks (0.792 BCS average)

If Missouri beats the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 Championship game and West Virginia defeats rivals the Pittsburgh Panthers, then they will meet in the BCS National Championship in New Orleans. However, Ohio State, who finished up their season with a Big 10 Championship and a win over their bitter rivals the Michigan Wolverines, can get in with either a Missouri or West Virginia loss. If both teams lose, then it will be the Bulldogs and the Buckeyes in New Orleans on January 7.

The rest of the BCS standings are at espn.com.

Hilarious Video Game Reviews by the Angry Video Game Nerd.

2007-11-25T11:37:00.000-06:00

My brother came to visit my house the other day. While he was here, he shown me some films by the Angry Video Game Nerd. For those of you that did not see his films, he reviews bad video games that were on the Atari, Nintendo Entertainment System (the 8-bit one), and other old systems. These videos are hilarious, especially his reviews for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game and for Bugs Bunny's Birthday Blowout game. It's unfortunate for me to say that I had the TMNT game for the NES (the first one). Looking back on it, that game was horrible.

You can watch his videos here.

NOTE: His critique for Dragon's Lair is available on GameTrailers. Go to the GameTrailers site and type in "Angry Video Game Nerd Dragon's Lair" in order to see it.

WARNING: These videos are NOT SAFE FOR WORK. They are also NOT for those under the age of 17.

New Wave Band The Romantics Sue Activision Despite Permission for use of Cover.

2007-11-25T09:10:00.000-06:00

According to GamePolitics.com, The Romantics, a Detroit-based 1980's rock group, are suing Activision for the song "What I Like About You" being used in Guitar Hero Rocks The 80's. The band's complaint is that the song sounds too good. Yes, that is right. The Romantics are suing Activision because the cover used in the game was, the band claims, sounded better than the original. Personally, this is just another frivilous lawsuit in an era in which anyone can sue anybody for no apparent reason. The Romantics gave Activision the permission to use this song. When you get set to play the song, a graphic in the top-left of the screen says that the song was MADE FAMOUS BY, which means that it is a cover band playing the song, not the actual band. I guess in this day in age, you can sue for anything now.

Catch the story here.

Welcome to my blog.

2007-11-24T22:31:00.000-06:00

Here it is. Welcome to The Outlet. I will be repoting and commentating about various topics including sports, entertainment, news, and other things.

A this and that about comments.

2007-11-24T22:12:00.000-06:00

I welcome your opinions and comments to my stories. We have the constitutional right to speak our minds whether others like them or not. However, that does NOT mean that you can post whatever you want. I also have the right to determine what is okay for you to post and what isn't. I do not allow any racist, sexist, threatening, defaming and other hateful or hurtful comments. My comment moderator is set so I can read what you say before it is posted (I'll try to check those comments whenever I can). I thank you for your cooperation and post away.

UPDATE: I turned off the comment moderator. However, I still can delete your posts that violate my policy.