Hedgehogs and politics

 Forgive me on the long break, but there's been a sense of hatred towards gaming as a whole this past week. Just coming off of the Ubisoft DRM catastrophy, we were immediately greeted by Sony's middle finger in the form of firmware 3.21. Then I saw the Sonic 4 footage, and I actually quit playing games altogether because I was so...what's the word...pissed off.

 For those behind the times, Sony's 3.21 firmware removed the OtherOS functionality, or Linux, from their old "fat" console models. It should have been a huge rage-storm, but instead the gaming community ended up raging at each other for the most part. Sony managed to make good customers turn to hackers, made potential script-kiddies drool at the thought of custom firmware finally within reach, and also made the community turn on itself in brainwash fashion. The vast majority of forums and postings dedicated to the announcement were filled with arguments over who was going to take the blame and whether or not people actually cared.

 To set the record straight, you should care. What really hurt the gaming community on this particular issue was the community itself. This, along with the Ubisoft DRM, should have been the rallying point for gamers to turn to publishers and say, "No."

 Instead, and even many websites posted this sentiment, the community acknowledged that they were willing to bend over and take it so long as they could still play games and Blu-Rays. Even worse, there were a few websites out there that put the blame for Sony's overreach on Geohot and not Sony themselves. Let's assume, for a moment, that every one of these people bought Ford Mustangs this year. In their own words, they would be very happy if Ford showed up at their house one day and swapped the Mustang engine with a Focus engine just because someone figured out a way to increase the original engine's horsepower. It makes no sense, and it only gives Sony and other companies more rights to steal what they wish.

 When the initial shock from that announcement subsided, Sega release game footage for Sonic 4. Dear God. I knew that the game was going to suck, but at this point, it's almost looking as if Sega wants to kill off Sonic for good. Nothing about the game looks fun or inviting, and I wonder why the fan community has managed to do it right every now and then while Sega consistently fails. Some recent mine cart footage looked painful, though I suppose there are questions about the legitimacy of the video. Either way, it's not a good sign.

 Then, if the week couldn't get any worse, the expected announcement of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski's re-election campaign turned up in our local paper. She's not as notorious as Republican nut-jobs like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, but she occasionally comes close. The very first thing she was quoted on in the article was how President Obama was being too partisan in his politics, and I immediately laughed at her and put the paper down. I am not voting on a Senator that doesn't have...well, brains. I need that in a Senator. These are the people hired to craft the laws and policies of our country as well as representing American interests, so I think it's only fair that we get, at the very least, someone with more competence than a first grader.

 Too partisan? Are you kidding me? You're telling me that a Republican such as yourself who has made stubborn partisanship a policy can honestly get up on stage and give a speech about how the President is playing to one side? Here's a tip, Lisa: You shouldn't run for re-election. That statement alone pretty much told me everything I need to know about your attention span, and I really don't think our state needs to spend money on that kind of ineptitude. Don't even get me started about how you got the position in the first place.

 Speaking of all matters Alaskan, that crazy lady we disowned is making headlines yet again. Sarah Palin has somehow managed to exemplify everything that I've criticized her for in the past with one shot. It turns out that very recently, she went back to her old stomping grounds and managed to get caught up in some high school drama, getting her daughter Willow off the hook for tens of thousands in property damage. Basically, Palin got all the girls that were a part of the "I'm better than you" clique off the hook while all of the guys took the fall. Read it, let it sink in, then meet me at the next paragraph...

 Remember that idiot girl in high school that was popular, except no one could figure out why? I mean, she was never capable of opening her mouth without saying something stupid, she never earned anything she had, and the only thing she was good at was being the communal "puts out" girl? OK, so that explains the popular part. Anyway, this was the type of girl that would say, "Sha! Who cares if you have a Mustang? I mean, you actually worked for that? What a waste of time! You're stupid!"

 ...only to immediately turn to her girlfriends and go, "Ohmigod! My boyfriend got a Mustang from his parents! OH MY GOD that's so cool!

 That's Palin in a nutshell. She's the idiot who still thinks she's in high school who believes that everything is wrong unless it comes out of her mouth. Look it up, she does this all the time. Her double standard is laughable, and I really don't think she's ever had a talking point in her career that hasn't been stolen and horribly misinterpreted. Sarah Palin is an attention whore, and I think comedians have pretty much left her alone lately because she does the work for them. What's sad is that she doesn't have a clue. I won't say I feel bad for her, but look at her on a stage. She routinely mocks people she just doesn't like for BEING SMARTER THAN HER. It's hilarious!

 "How's that hopey changey stuff workin' out for ya?"

 Awesome. Thanks for asking, and thank you for making my political choices MUCH easier to make. I gotta hand it to you, Palin...you're the best thing the Democrats could have ever hoped for. Digg It Stumble it ! Reddit