The Monday just gone was Australia Day, the down under version of all things national pride. When we come together as a nation of many different faces to enjoy the prosperity of a country that is not torn apart by war, or starved by famine.
I watched the local fireworks display from the front porch of my house, and it made me weep. I thought to myself, how very wonderful it is that when we hear an explosion at the end of the street we think of fireworks and not bombs.
And it made me feel so very blessed to be living in this part of the world, that is by no means more perfect than any other.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Cheaters never prosper
It seems that shortly after any new game comes out there are always those who will test the limits of what the game can withstand, explore every level..and glitch.
I can appreciate that games produced to deadline won't always be perfect, seldom ever are. (See Halo 3 campaign, I must've fallen into every undiscovered hole in the terrain when fighting brutes) or even Gears, with it's sometimes cheddar-cheese filled walls.
But there is a clear difference between back flipping Cole Train into a wall by accident, and sitting inside a rock, smoking people as they run past on Call Of Duty. It's not even that there are bugs in the game that annoys me, its the simple fact that these people, usually little boys with nothing better to do, deliberately cheat to get the upper hand then congratulate each other on being masters of the universe.
All the while you are thinking, man I wish I could beat these people at their own game, but I wouldn't want to lower myself. There are many reasons why people cheat at anything, lacking skill, peer pressure, or just being pricks.
So every time some ass jumps out of the level, or sails past me through the air I remember this: In life Jim the store clerk is a nobody, he gets yelled at by his manager, and games are his escape. So sure, its much easier for Jim to vent his rage at passive faceless people on xbox than face his own life. Suddenly I'm not so annoyed.
check out this you tube video on the Gears atrocities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4foUP2LuX8
I can appreciate that games produced to deadline won't always be perfect, seldom ever are. (See Halo 3 campaign, I must've fallen into every undiscovered hole in the terrain when fighting brutes) or even Gears, with it's sometimes cheddar-cheese filled walls.
But there is a clear difference between back flipping Cole Train into a wall by accident, and sitting inside a rock, smoking people as they run past on Call Of Duty. It's not even that there are bugs in the game that annoys me, its the simple fact that these people, usually little boys with nothing better to do, deliberately cheat to get the upper hand then congratulate each other on being masters of the universe.
All the while you are thinking, man I wish I could beat these people at their own game, but I wouldn't want to lower myself. There are many reasons why people cheat at anything, lacking skill, peer pressure, or just being pricks.
So every time some ass jumps out of the level, or sails past me through the air I remember this: In life Jim the store clerk is a nobody, he gets yelled at by his manager, and games are his escape. So sure, its much easier for Jim to vent his rage at passive faceless people on xbox than face his own life. Suddenly I'm not so annoyed.
check out this you tube video on the Gears atrocities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4foUP2LuX8
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Whatever happened to the Simpsons?
Reruns, reruns, reruns..I think I must know every line of every episode of the Simpsons since 1984. Like the states the commercial networks in Australia just love buying older seasons of hit shows and then putting them on in time slots when nothing else is worth watching.
Which brings me to the point of why isn't the Simpsons funny anymore? Originally it started out as witty social satire with heart, poking fun at Bill & his tool shed, gun laws and the nuclear family.
Am I behind the 8 ball or has our sense of humour been taken over by Cletus the slack jawed yokel?
Which brings me to the point of why isn't the Simpsons funny anymore? Originally it started out as witty social satire with heart, poking fun at Bill & his tool shed, gun laws and the nuclear family.
Am I behind the 8 ball or has our sense of humour been taken over by Cletus the slack jawed yokel?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Australian Internet Censorship
Hi all, some of you may know me from xbox live. As the aussie chick who never has a bad word to say.. well guess what? I have something to say about this.
Currently in the dark and mouldy depths of Parliament house a great evil is lurking, plotting and gathering it's minions for what will no doubt be a dark day for all those who are grateful for the liberty and (somewhat) free speech we currently enjoy as a western nation.
The current govenment wishes to trial an internet censorship filter which will not only kill free thought and free enterprise, but the rights of mature gamers everywhere. For some reason the Australian government has over the last decade thought to wrap it's citizens in cotton wool. Danger signs here there and everywhere, pool fences, terrorist scare tactics and now this.
The filter would not only disable content that is deemed offensive or inappropriate (by who I may ask?), but also because of the sheer amount of content that is to be screened, has the potential to severly limit internet speeds.
Is this the sort of existence that those who died so horribly and fought so bravely fifty years ago sought to protect? Is this another torch of free will being extinguished? Make up your own mind while you still can, or alternatively get as pissed off as I am and check out these sites:
http://nocleanfeed.com/action.html
or the petition
http://petitions.takingitglobal.org/oznetcensorship
Thanks for your time
Currently in the dark and mouldy depths of Parliament house a great evil is lurking, plotting and gathering it's minions for what will no doubt be a dark day for all those who are grateful for the liberty and (somewhat) free speech we currently enjoy as a western nation.
The current govenment wishes to trial an internet censorship filter which will not only kill free thought and free enterprise, but the rights of mature gamers everywhere. For some reason the Australian government has over the last decade thought to wrap it's citizens in cotton wool. Danger signs here there and everywhere, pool fences, terrorist scare tactics and now this.
The filter would not only disable content that is deemed offensive or inappropriate (by who I may ask?), but also because of the sheer amount of content that is to be screened, has the potential to severly limit internet speeds.
Is this the sort of existence that those who died so horribly and fought so bravely fifty years ago sought to protect? Is this another torch of free will being extinguished? Make up your own mind while you still can, or alternatively get as pissed off as I am and check out these sites:
http://nocleanfeed.com/action.html
or the petition
http://petitions.takingitglobal.org/oznetcensorship
Thanks for your time
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