My Entry for the 2O2P Rise of the Argonauts Contest

For those of you who have not seen the front page recently, check out details for the new 2Old2Play Rise of the Argonaughts Contest here: http://www.2old2play.com/News/Rise_of_the_Argonauts_Contest 

The basic Gist of this contest is to write a short post about what Powers you would coontrol over your fellow gaming minons. Below is my entry. Have you entered? If not, go check it out and post your own Godlike Whims.

God of the Red Ring of Death

I would become the God of the Red Ring of Death. I would banish those responsible for the massive overheating of the world's 360's to the 10th level of Hell, where they would be forced to watch powerless as once-loyal 360 owners burn their White Bricks of Shame in sacrafice to the Sony Gods on their way to purchasing new PS3's.

But I would give those responsible for this travesty against the Gaming Universe one last chance at Absolution and Salvation. All those responsbile for the dreaded Red Ring of Death would have the opportunity to be cleansed of their sins by producing new, Ultra-cool and soundless 360's which they would provide to the world FREE of charge, on bended knee in an exhibition of their repentance.

Then I would flog them with corded 360 Controllers for all eternity anyway for putting all of use through the Dance of the Coffin time and time again.

Welcome to the Newest Member of Art Of War - Caesar

Art Of War is proud to announce the addition of our newest clan member - Caesar. Caesar is a very cool cat who wields a mean chainsaw and has some serious skills in the realm of Digital Design. He created the Art Of War Banner that you see at the top of this blog (Thanks again bro!).

Check out Caesar's own blog which includes more of his work at http://www.2old2play.com/Blog/Caesar So Check it out.

Interesting Encounter after Dim Sum

So my girlfriend's parents are in town visiting and we decided to head down to Chinatown in Boston to get some Dim Sum. My girl and I go frequently and we found a great new place (Chow Chau House) that we wanted to show her parents. Just as a (somewhat irrelevant) aside, my girlfriend and her parents are Chinese-American, so going out for Dim Sum is always a treat as they order in Chinese and usually find some things that I have not tried yet. So we had a great meal and then parted company as I had to head to go to work and they wanted to walk around Chinatown and do some shopping. So I head off to the T (subway) station to catch a train back to my car.

As I was walking up to the stairs leading down to the station, I notice a line of cops walking in the street side by side, as if they were clearing the way for something. Intrigued, I watched as they cleared the road and stopped traffic at an intersection. About 100 yards behind them I could see a crowd of people walking in middle of the street and waving flags and carrying signs. At first I thought this must be a protest against the persecution of the Fau Lu Gong religious sect in China, as these occur fairly regularly in Chinatown. However the flags did not look right. It was then that I realized the flags were Palestinian and that the protest was against the bombings currently occurring in Gaza. My first thought was regarding the safety of my girlfriend and her family. Not that I thought the protestors would hurt anyone, but given the currently climate surround the conflict between Israel and Palestine, I was concerned that trouble might arise. So I called my girlfriend, told her what was going on, and advised her to just be aware of her surroundings.

Now it is important to note a few things. First, Michelle lived in NJ and worked in Manhattan and was stuck in mid-town NY for several days after 9-11. Then the London train bombing occurred about 6 months after I moved to NYC to be with her. Combined with my background, situations like this make me hyper-aware of my surroundings and I tend to go into "protective" mode when it comes to Michelle. Anyway, once she was aware of the situation, I decided to hang out and see what the protestors had to say and what was written on their banners.

Watching the procession, I thought about my position on the whole mess in the Middle East and how that conflict touched me today here in the US. My personal opinion is that both sides are "wrong" in the respect that both the Palestinians and the Israelis wish to live in the same area (West Bank) and claim that this area is their "birth right granted by God". Without getting into a philosophical diatribe that would probably offend both sides, let me just state this. The concept that God, who according to most religions (regardless of which you follow) created the universe and EVERYTHING & EVERYONE in it, would choose one ethnic group over another, strikes me as ludicrous and completely narcissistic. To me all religion is based on a given cultural perspective on God. In other words, people (for the most part) tend to adopt the religion of their parents and ancestors and said religion is typically "determined" by culture and geographic origin. If you are born in Palestine, you tend to be Muslim. If you are born in Israel, you tend to follow Judaism and so on. The fact that people are willing to use the concept of God, religion and "Manifest Destiny" to justify the slaughter of their fellow human beings is absurd to me. I simply cannot understand this need to separate the "us" from the "them" to such a degree that "they" must be eradicated or driven from a given geographical area. Is this not akin to what the Nazi's did during WWII, what Anglo-Europeans did to native North and South Americans and why we now must worry about terrorists?

Enough already I say. Human beings are all basically the same with regard to "what" we are - bipedal primates with well developed brains and the learned ability to use complex tools. I really wish people would stop using these tools to kill each other, particularly based on a "belief", whatever that belief may be.

More Chicks That Rock

Well now that Durty has set me straight on how to post vids, I figured I would stick with the music theme for one more blog. If you have seen the movie Across the Universe you may be familar this this next singer. In case you have never heard of Dana Fuchs, this chick rocks. Think a little Janis Joplin mixed with a southern sensability and a little more edge. We saw Dana Fuchs play a live show here in Boston last year and had the chance to speak with her after the show. She is really down to earth and very approachable.

Anyway, check her out and let me know what you think. Go see her live if you get the chance. You will not regret it.

My Favorite Singer of All Time

I hate to be a Blog Whore and post twice in a single day, but I just came across this via Facebook and had to put it up here. I became a fan of Jennifer Nettles back in the late 90's when I lived in TN. Some of you may know her from the Country Band Sugarland. She started in a band called Soulminer's Daughter before branching out on her own with the Jennifer Nettles Band. This girl had (and still does have) a set of pipes that woud give you chills. She is also a great and gracious person. For your enjoyment -