Aug 152014
 

My family was in town this week for a low-key reunion, so posting has been particularly light. But here are a few stray thoughts for a Friday:

  • The news of Robin Williams’ death was a terrible shock. I loved his manic form of comedy that sometimes became a deluge of pop culture references. His humor channeled the Internet before the Internet was a thing. But I was also saddened by the harassment inflicted upon his daughter Zelda after she posted a tribute to her father on social media. I understand that even sociopaths have the right to express themselves, but it should be far easier to mute their toxic chatter on timelines and newsfeeds. The Internet is supposed to be a self-regulating platform, but that regulation seems to be lacking even as we become more dependent on the platform.
  • On a lighter note, I’m thoroughly enjoying Divinity: Original Sin. It’s a throwback to the isometric role-playing games of the 90’s such as Fallout and Baldur’s Gate, which are among my favorite titles. Divinity doesn’t offer much hand-holding, but I appreciate the opportunity to figure out things for myself. Between this and the forthcoming release of similar games like Pillars of Eternity, my gaming calendar should be booked through the winter.
Dec 122013
 

Megyn Kelly of Fox News wants to make damned sure that the children of America know that Santa Claus is a white man. Any suggestion that this mythical figure, who defies the laws of physics and spacetime once every year, could not be white is both silly and quite possibly subversive. Santa was, is, and always will be a white man, just like his pal Jesus.

You really must watch the video; it’s priceless. These are actual adults who are, presumably, paid to be on national television:

Dec 052013
 

My cousins in South Africa came of age at a time when apartheid threatened to tear the country apart. Thanks to the monumental efforts of Nelson Mandela, they and their children know a country at peace. Much work remains to be done before South Africa can be called a truly equitable nation, but Mandela assured that work could begin.

Aug 302013
 

I’ll preface this by saying that that plenty of other blogs can provide much more intelligent commentary on the events unfolding in regards to Syria. But what exactly would we accomplish with military intervention? I understand that chemical weapons are horrible, but is it any more acceptable for civilians to be slaughtered with bullets and mortars? This distinction between conventional and nonconventional arms may have made sense fifty years ago, but it seems archaic when modern conventional weapons are perfectly capable of killing thousands in seconds. If we only sit up and take notice of civilian deaths when chemical weapons are used, we’re hardly the defenders of justice that we claim to be as a nation. We’re like cynical cops who only venture into a bad neighborhood after someone sprays gunfire into a playground.