BAH!

Things happening…. can’t write…. be back next week.

-Irish

This’ll be a long one II

A while back I posted the very first chapter of the NaNoWriMo novel that I wrote. It was entirely unedited and had basically been written in total haste. This, of course, made me look like a complete fool. Then again, grammar has never really been my strongest quality. So, after a few months time, I decided to edit it a bit. Much to my dismay, however, I was thoroughly intoxicated and this is what happened…

Did you even notice?

American heroes, at best, seem distant to us. They’re placed in history books and thrown apathetically into the bags of teenagers, rarely to be read by them, nonetheless adults. When was the last time you sat down a read about President Jefferson or had a discussion about Walt Whitman. In truth, our heroes, the ones Americans worship, are no longer the ones that defined America. Instead, they’re the guys who sell more albums or have amazing bodies or are simply witty in some fashion.

Before I continue I feel I must admit that this is not a rant about how much American sucks or how terrible we as humans, whether American or not, can be. Instead, I am just curious if you even noticed why many of you got Monday off. The obvious retort to that is: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Now, can you tell me whether it is a day celebrating his birthday, the day he gave the I have a dream speech, or the day he was killed?

When we look to the American heroes who honestly did something, the people who changed our nation for the better, I think my generation can point to Martin Luther King, Jr. as one of the few people we remember. Unfortunately, it seems we remember his name and nothing else. Perhaps we remember his speeches, or some of his ideals. We might even know other trivial information that would otherwise make jerks like me look as though I know nothing about Dr. King.

And once a year we stop and pay tribute for what he gave us… the only problem, of course, is that no one much cares what he did. We take for granted the rights he fought to secure for black Americans. We forget the pain he suffered. Unlike most heroes he wasn’t able to live out his life in the splendor of his brilliance, rather his life was taken and he was robbed of what he deserved.

If not for Martin Luther King, Jr. we would not have a black President. Blacks would still be forced to sit in the back of the bus, there would be separate bathrooms for coloreds and human rights would continue to be spit on. We forget that one man can do so much. Perhaps that was the point – he was never alone, mind you. I’m confident in saying he was no gloryhound. He didn’t stand up and make those speeches so that he would be on the news or in the papers for being brave. He did all of that, the stuff we only care about for about five minutes a year, because he knew he had to. And thank God he found that want.

Where would we be without Dr. King? It’s easy to point at our current state in this country and let out a sigh. We honestly think we have it hard, that we somehow cannot advance beyond our current position. Tell that to somebody who wasn’t allowed to sit in the same section of a restaurant or to somebody unable to go to school with everyone else because their ancestry was not Anglo.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is not a day for black Americans to rejoice. It is a day for every single person in this whole nation to sit back and revel in the birth of a man who taught us all how to act like humans.

-Irish

P.S.: This rant was not edited or proofread. And yes, I know that Dr. King was not born on the 18th, but we celebrate his birthday, which was on the 15th, on the third monday of January.

Haiti

There is nothing more perverted than the guilty minded man. We act irrationally and refuse to listen to logic, instead we do what our heart tells us. Unfortunately, our heart doesn’t heed the warning of thought or know the basic understanding of consequences. It acts in fervor, it refuses to acknowledge danger, and, like a blind man on a roof, it’s bound to slip eventually.

The tragic earthquake in Haiti is a reminder to us all to stay vigilant. Instead of acting foolishly we should stay calm and educate ourselves about what happened and what has to be done. We need to look at history and see what has happened in the past when it comes to aid for Haiti. Much to my dismay, however, it seems we have ignored hindsight and we refuse to acknowledge the logic sitting in front of us. Instead, we’re heading into the jungle in haste without so much as a pair of boots on.

President Obama has already announced one hundred million dollars, a seemingly arbitrary number pulled out of his pocket, in aid for Haiti. Normally that number would sound a bit low and there are plenty of people, even now, who think that it is. Certainly by the time this whole debacle is over we’ll have spent far more in man-hours, fuel, food, housing, supplies, and everything else that you can think of. Nevertheless, it is the $100 Million which has caught the attention of a few news-addicts. In truth, we haven’t that money to give…

It sounds heartless, I know. Unfortunately, while it is heartless, it’s also logical. The American People are so heavily in debt to China that many honestly think that this is the first generation in decades to have children who, once they grow up, will lead poorer lives than them. This is remarkable when you consider the nineties were our golden age.

Now we sit upon that damned precipice that most intelligent societies try to avoid.

The unfortunate truth is that we do not have one hundred million dollars to give to Haiti, though our President will do so anyhow. In fact, much to my chagrin, I am certain he will give more. Mind you, it is your money he is donating, not his. And before I am emailed about it, NO, this is not an attack on taxes or Obama. It is an attack on haste and logic born from the heart, which is to say none at all.

What happens when we flood our schools with money for new textbooks and better teaching material? Nothing. Look at California – we have some of the lowest test scores in the nation and we shovel money into the system. Instead of using that idea for Haiti, our President should stand before us all and ask us to stand up and give every penny we can, every second we have free, and every prayer we can afford to say. There is nothing greater than the American Mind and the American Heart when used in unison. Money does not solve this problem, it is the effort of man, the willingness of we Americans to bleed for the safety of our fellow-men, that will win the day.

As a Capitalist I am a fond believer in the power of money, but above all else comes a strong sense of morals to dictate how that money is used.  As with all things in life we need a balance, not erratic fear and forced guilt.

-Irish

P.S.: This has not been edited or proofread. Oh yeah… Fuck you, Pat Robertson!

Games on the Cheap! Mass Effect

4 views?! ONLY FOUR VIEWS? Yeah, okay, I’m use to getting only about 30 or so. I think my highest was over 1k, but it was an Aion review and I was hated for it. Still, I only got about four views on this damn video.

A Quick Review – Mass Effect: Revelation

Alright, I have a few moments alone and I’m bored, not to mention my laptop can’t do much more than type, so I think this is a perfect time to write a review! I promise, I will try my hardest to be quick, though don’t be shocked if I turn this into a two thousand word rant on the abuses of sci-fi cliché…

I should first admit that I am a fan of the Mass Effect world. Well, the game at least. Admittedly, I was let down that it followed the same old prefabricated BioWare story arc, but it worked. So when I heard about Mass Effect 2 and got a Kindle for Christmas I put two and two together and got the kindle version of Mass Effect: Revelation, as well as Mass Effect: Ascension.

Mass Effect: Revelations introduces the world of Mass Effect in a bit more detail. While the game did a decent job at it, there were some parts which seemed a bit fuzzy. I’m certain if you finished that game to the 100% mark then nothing was fuzzy, but I did not. The story itself revolves around three people: Lt. David Anderson (The Good), Saren (The Bad), and Kahlee Sanders (The… ugly?). Now if you played the game at all you will immediately recognize Lt. Anderson and Saren, for obvious reasons. Kahlee is a bit of a newcomer, though she is a fairly important figure in the Mass Effect world.

To put it lightly, Kahlee is a jerk. Alright, maybe not a jerk, but she didn’t even give Lt. Anderson a good poking around. He saved her life and she didn’t even offer! In fact, in the end, she refuses to even kiss him. This is Keith David we’re talking about ladies and gentleman. He’s the voice from the Navy commercials. You can’t say no to him!

Sorry, that was a bit of a rant.

Basically the novel is a fantastic prologue to the game. On its own, however, the story fails to give you a good ending. Instead, you’re pretty much forced to play the game. I know that it’s the entire point of the novel, but it didn’t make me want to play the game once I finished it. Perhaps it is because I played the game a billion times.

I actually found myself loving the novel, oddly enough. Nevertheless, I think the reason I loved it was for the same reason that I love reading history books on the Revolutionary War. It is a good way to better understand the situation, but little to none of it is worth being told beyond that of a five-minute video. This novel was like Halo 2. You know, when you jump out of the back of the space thingy and… POOF, title screen. Game over. You get a “WTFisthisshit?!” moment.

So, if you’re eager to play Mass Effect 2, then I would suggest buying this book and getting acclimated to the world once more. Otherwise, this is a terrible stand-alone novel. There is no reason to read this book unless you know that you’re interested in buying the video game.

-irish

ps: no editing or proofreading, sorry. I do have my roommate uploading a new Games on the Cheap video to match this review. I’ll try to post it when I can. Until then… BUY SERO!

Games on the Cheap! Shattered Horizon

Hey folks. Next week looks fairly busy so chances are I won’t have many updates. Nevertheless, I figured I’d make a quick Games on the Cheap! for Shattered Horizons for the PC. Enjoy.

Science versus Religion

As mentioned beforehand I am not a fan of science fiction. Mind you, I don’t necessarily dislike it because I think it is a bad genre, I’m just not as fond of it as some folks are. I think my biggest problem with it is the same issues I have with fantasy: every other novel is the same old thing featuring the same old characters and the same old plot lines. Nothing feels original or even very relevant.

With all of that in mind, I chose to write Sero in a way which would hopefully reflect our own society and some of the sociopolitical issues we tend to have. The biggest societal argument in the novel is the battle between science and religion. To say this is not something that we deal with in our life is an inability to see the forest through the trees. We deal with it constantly and often times when we side with one we are automatically forced to go against the other.

For me, I am not now nor have I ever been very religious. In fact, I’m somewhat disdainful toward organized religion. The entire thing seems like a scam to me, but then again I find the same disturbing traits about many scientific opinions. The easiest to point out is Global Warming. If you don’t believe in it you’re called a Denier and made to look like an apathetic bigot. There seems to me that there is no in between for the idea either – you are either fully for man-made global warming or you are the religions enemy.

I always believed organized religion was a way to ease our minds when it comes to death. Mind you, I am incredibly spiritual and I do believe in a higher being, but I don’t follow any religion. And no, I don’t pray to the Earth Mother. I simply acknowledge there is something bigger than me and that I am insignificant in comparison. That, mind you, does not then mean I am insignificant to myself or those around me. I live my life for myself, not for anyone or anything else. When it comes to science, I can’t help but think that it is quickly replacing religion. Simply put, the newest religion in America is science.

So what happens to our old religions when we find new ones? Ask the ancient Greeks. An entire civilization lost their Gods because of a new one. In Sero, my goal is to delve into an America that has fully replaced its Gods with science, and rightfully so. Nevertheless, the science they love, while miraculous, is also causing them to take life for granted and abuse their own bodies. Integrity, the willingness to helps others, the ability to show compassion, these are all traits we’re taught so that our maker will judge us favorably. Well, when our maker is irrelevant and our keepers don’t care what we do, why do we care how we act?

The main character, Atlas, has a long history of this battle between science and religion. Coming from a religious family he was taught the morals any good child of God would learn, but he fell to the call of science in his late teens after an accident.

This is not a novel about how evil science is, nor is it about how evil religion is. In essence, it is simply an argument for balance.

-Irish

P.S.: For Good Measure: BUY SERO HERE!

Games on the Cheap! Osmos [Special Extended Edition]

ENJOY!

SERO: An example

In an effort to sell more product, I have decided to post the first chapter of my novel Sero. I do hope that you enjoy it…