Gaming Obscurities # 3 Silent Scope Rifle / Shotgun

Biggest Light Gun I’ve ever seen for any system that wasn’t in the arcades o.o.

Attacks on Obama vs Bush

I heard this on Best of the Left, check out and share!: Attacks on Obama vs Bush – Blacking it up.

This clip articulates something that has been bothering me for most of Obama’s term. It is astounding to hear the amount of vitriol that is hurled toward President Obama. I’m not upset by the fact that people disagree with him, that’s natural and people’s right in a democracy, but the vicious hatred that is directed toward him openly is both surprising and revolting. I don’t hide that I’m a liberal and in Obama’s corner but the level of attacks that come his way versus those toward Bush during his terms don’t even compare.

What is the worst you heard from the left about Bush during his presidency? The most common attack was usually just making fun of his public speaking gaffes and joking about his intelligence. That’s pretty tame. The very worse you ever heard from the left was that he should be tried as a war criminal for his sanctioning of torture. That never came from any Democrats, however, and the Obama administration has decided not to pursue any investiagations or charges so that will never happen. Admitedly, “war criminal” is a pretty harsh term but it’s based on real actions he took and policies he enacted, not some random accusation from thin air.

Now look at what the right wing throws at Obama with a regular basis. They call him a communist, socialist, and even a terrorist. They call him a Muslim (as if it would be a problem if he were one) even though he’s Christian and attends church regularly. They openly accuse his presidency of being illegitimate for him not being born in America even though he’s shown his birth certificate showing he was born in Hawaii. They compare him to Hitler so regularly you’d think it was as common and acceptable insult as calling him a jerk. Some critics openly call for revolution and for America to overthrow the government. They imply arming themselves and even suggest that Obama should be taken out. You never heard liberals calling for violent revolution or outright assassination of the president during Bush’s presidency, did you? If the left had spoken in terms even half as severe as what is thrown at Obama, the right would have blown a gasket.

I’m not asking everybody to agree with President Obama or to support him (though I’d certainly like that). What I’d like is some civility. There is plenty to criticize Obama for, I have things I disagree with him on as well, but please keep it relevant. If you call him a socialist or claim he’s destroying America, I will lose all respect for you argument and I can’t take anything you say seriously. You will never hear me attack Mitt Romney as being fascist, evil, or a threat to Amercia (oops, I mean America). I disagree with him on his plan for the country and I believe Obama is a better president than Romney will be. That’s all I need. Preying on lies, exaggerations, or fear is not a road I wish to travel. That’s for the extremists.

So please. Support who you like but keep it civil and honest.

Journey Review

A PSN title you should check out!

Lunar Silver Star Story Complete Review

My 2 Cents of the PS1 Remake of the Sega CD game and some things I compare.

Top 10 Events That Draw You In

Hey everone long time no see ^^ been busy with life and helping people I love with life.

Overtime from work has hit hard so I’ve been busy lately and also just recovering from being sick.

Just to note, the reason this is split into two videos is that my FFXIII Review was due at the time and there was a problem with YouTube and I was at a 15 min limit (that no longer is problem now).

But anyway, the following is just games that had some kind of element or twist that helped pull you into the game more! So enjoy and leave a comment :D!

The Avengers “He’s Adopted” Controversy

While shattering box office records, Marvel’s The Avengers, has come under fire for what I thought was a throw-away joke in the film. The dialogue in question is as follows:

Thor: Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard. And he’s my brother.

Black Widow: He killed 80 people in 2 days.

Thor: He’s adopted.

The Internet and some news media organizations are abuzz with criticism for this and a petition has sprung up from an adoption advocacy group demanding an apology from Marvel for offending those who are adopted. As somebody who was adopted myself, I feel very qualified when I offer my own take:

Lighten up.

The line was clearly a joke and it was delivered well. You know what I did as an adopted person when I heard it? I laughed then promptly forgot about it as the movie progressed. I had to be told that it was supposed to be offensive to me. I will grant that as somebody in my 30s, I’m far less likely to to feel that my own self worth is being challenged by a 5 second clip in a movie but that does raise a question I have about those who are clamoring how offensive this is to children.

Why are you bringing children young enough to cry from this to a PG-13 movie? More importantly, and this will sound a bit mean, but why are parents even allowing their adopted kids to have the notion in the first place that they’re somehow less valuable if they’re adopted? When I was a child, I thought about the fact I was adopted maybe…once a week? If that? I understand that I might be atypical in the lack of interest I have always had in finding my biological parents, my sister is also adopted and ended up finding hers and found it beneficial, but there’s never been a real question of who my “real parents” are. When asked by others if I want to know who my “real parents” are I tell them I already have them. I’m with my real parents and I’m grateful to my biological ones. That’s that.

I do feel sympathetic when I’ve seen comments about kids who got upset about the line that the implication is that they’re less valuable as adopted but isn’t that a teaching moment? A chance for the parents to explain why it was just a joke, maybe even one in poor taste (though I didn’t find it to be personally) and why families with adopted kids are no different than biological ones? From experience, I can recommend that you explain early about adoption, why it happened and how it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference to the strength or value of a family. You shouldn’t be allowing a movie to raise that question for you.

I would like to address something I did find offensive. An article in the Washington Post used something called the Substitution Game where to determine if something that was questionable was wrong, to substitute the word “Jewish” or “African-American” for it to see if it still works. Obviously, doing that with the Avengers line makes it horrible. But the implication of this is what? That adoption is on the same level as being Jewish or African-American? I’m adopted and even I find that offensive and ludicrous. How often do adopted kids get persecuted? Denied civil rights? Suffer generations of oppression? At most, we get teased in school briefly. Once you’re an adult, it never comes up unless you decide to bring it up and even then it’s an interesting point of trivia about yourself, not something to worry about.

I’d appreciate any comments. Am I way off base? I recognize that my own experiences may not be the norm and I might be missing the point. I guess I can see why it could be taken as offensive but I still feel like most of the ones upset by it need to just lighten up and take a joke. Trust me, Joss Whedon wasn’t intending to insult you personally, nor was a fictional character from another planet.

An Alternative Easter Reflection

The religious assault on free speech – Johann Hari.

A nationally recognized religious holiday felt like a good day to share this. I encourage you, regardless of your beliefs, to listen to it in full for an alternate view of free speech than what is being presented most loudly in the media lately. There are many, Rick Santorum being a good example, who are professing that religious expression is under attack but the claims are more selfish than they appear. When people like Santorum say that they want religious freedom, which they already enjoy in this country, what they really seem to mean is they want the freedom to force their views on everybody else. The recent assault on women’s right to contraception coverage through insurance is a prime example, as is the constant attack on gays. There is a very distinct difference between the freedom to practice and believe whatever you choose and forcing your beliefs on everybody around you through government interference where it does not belong.

With all that in mind, have a happy Easter. Have a pleasant Passover. Enjoy your Sunday. Celebrate it, or don’t, however you please and whatever way brings you happiness and peace. Feel free to express it and be proud of your beliefs. Just don’t cross that line from “expression” to “obtrusion” or even “oppression.”

• I have tentatively decided to periodically blog about things of a more political or social nature in addition to the sporadic sports and entertainment posts. My diligence with my Utah Jazz blog has taken up most of my writing time lately but another reason for the dearth of posts to this blog is that the topics that I want to write about have been falling into the political and social realm, which I have been hesitant to dive into. But, some of these things I feel strongly about and the Best of the Left podcast I have been listening to lately provides a terrific means to share clips that speak to me. If any of these inspire comments, please keep it civil. I encourage opposing viewpoints just as much as I’d like to see ones that agree with me. At the least, I hope clips like these spark some thought. Cheers.
• YouTube took down the link for what was supposed to be a video of the speech because it was too long but I found the audio version on Johann Hari’s website. The speech is about 15 minutes long but worth it.
• Once the basketball season ends I hope to post more regularly here.

Greatest April Fools Prank Ever…

Last night Cartoon Network, in what is believed to be an April Fools prank, aired an old school block of Toonami programming complete with Tom (Steve “Motherfucking” Blum) coming back and doing a new bump. They showed some of the best episodes of Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing, Tenchi Muyo, Outlaw Star, The Big O, YuYu Hakusho, Trigun, and a few more. Being able to watch it brought me back to being a youngster again and it-was-AWESOME! I’m not engaging in hyperbole when I say Toonami beats everything Adult Swim put out lately on their Saturday night runs. Damn near had a nostalgic overload…

Peyton Manning Chooses Denver

As a longtime Denver Broncos fan I have to address the biggest story in the NFL offseason. Yesterday morning it was announced that Peyton Manning intends to sign with the Denver Broncos. This not only brings a 4-time NFL MVP to Denver but sets in motion the shipping out of the biggest story of last year, Tim Tebow.

I was all aboard the Tebow Train last year, I was on board during training camp. The bandwagon got very, very crowded as Tebowmania exploded and Denver made the playoffs. It’s stunning that after such a magical season, Tebow will soon likely be in another uniform. It’s reported that once the Manning deal is official, the Broncos will begin looking to trade Tebow. I really enjoyed watching Denver last year and Tebow was a big reason why. With that said, I’m fully behind signing Manning and am equally excited for next year.

Despite the success of last year, I didn’t have blinders on as a fan with Tebow. I saw the passes he sailed over his WRs heads or skipped a few feet short in the grass. You couldn’t ask for more from a guy with the intangibles but he has a lot of work to do as a quarterback. Can he get there? Certainly. I was both nervous and excited to see how he’d do with a full training camp and starting off 2012 as the starter. I believe he will get better but that’s not a guarantee. I doubt Denver would be able to run the same offense as they did last year, other teams would have more time to study them and figure out how to shut Tebow down, especially if his passing didn’t improve. Despite concerns, I was more excited than not.

However, it’s Peyton Manning. He’s had four neck surgeries but he’s also won four MVP awards.  It’s been 14 years since Denver had a QB of this caliber and it was the man who now was responsible for getting Manning in orange and blue: John Elway. I hope Denver isn’t done with free agency. Throw a lot of money at Mike Wallace. He’s a restricted free agent but isn’t he worth giving up the first round pick? Can you imagine Manning to Wallace? It’s spooky. Get Dallas Clark in there. That one is obvious, I feel. Why not get Manning one of his favorite weapons?

I’m excited and hopeful for the Manning Era in Denver. Yes, I’m nervous that he might not be the same after all but no more nervous than I was about Tebow, just for different reasons. I hope Denver finds a team that will be a good fit for Tebow (Jacksonville) and I will continue to root for him. I actually wish Denver would keep Tebow and let him learn from Manning for a couple of years but I understand why that’s unlikely.

Any thoughts on the signing? Is this the best fit for Manning? What should the Broncos do with Tebow? Who would you rather have? A few years of Manning or a career of Tebow?

Top 10 Evil Villains

Title says it all!