Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Ten Things You Did Not Know About Me


10: I can shoot lasers out of my eyes at people who leave negative comments on my blog.
9: I Created a new genre of dance in which people get so into it that radiation waves pulsate off of them, I like to call this the microrave.
8: Atlantis used to exist, but it sank into the sea when I came around. Why? Because I'm really good at games.
7: I invented the moon
6: I also gave birth to rick rolling. Labor hurts, a lot.
5: I am the reason that Waldo is hiding.
4: I reverse engineered people. Now I know how they work, and boy do they taste good.
3. My brother is the Statue of Liberty
2. I'm like a Rubik's Cube, the more you play with me, the harder I get
1. I am the reason why this world is 3D

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Sunday Sites 20

Before we go to the twentieth Sunday Sites, let me apologize for not having a post up this week.

http://gdc.gamespot.com/story/6206551/gdc-2009-world-of-goo-creators-slime-drm GDC was in San Francisco just last week. Here, an indie developer, 2D Boy, makes DRM look like an absurd waste of money.

http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html
Has any one of you seen this is real life?

http://www.gamespot.com/hardware/blogs/hardware-insider/909185655/26826428/crytek-demoes-cryengine-3-for-pc-xbox-360-and-ps3.html
As GDC was this week, expect to see a lot of game-related links today. This is CryEngine 3.

http://gdc.gamespot.com/story/6206956/gdc-2009-wright-molyneux-sound-off-on-societal-impact-of-games Are games the future of social networking?

http://gdc.gamespot.c
om/story/6206649/gdc-2009-the-art-of-promoting-indie How does one authentically and truthfully market?

http://gdc.gamespot.com/story/6206641/gdc-2009-stardock-ceo-says-little-games-%3D-big-business
Besides making a more authentic game, there are more advantages to not selling out.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sunday Sites Nineteen

Here are this week's sites, have fun.

http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/03/17/do-college-students-need-laptops-in-the-age-of-netbooks/ Using a netbook for school, I really don't see any reason that a student would need a more powerful computer besides for gaming.

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/the-anarchist-professor-interview-with-denis-rancourt/
Anyone who has at any point of his life felt dissatisfaction over their education would find this very interesting.

http://sovietrussia.org/f/src/tetoris.swf Good luck

http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2009/03/19/dont-swim-in-the-shallow-waters/ Why be average?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw
The Obama Deception, now that the excitement of the election is over, where to go from here?

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Why Gitmo Should be Closed

Upon taking the oath of office on January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama proceeded to order the eventual closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, a prison known for the torture of its inmates. The United States has had a very poor track record of human rights. Slavery, Jim Crow Laws, death penalties, homophobia, and the incidents of Guantanamo Bay are examples of this.

Under the rule of George W. Bush, detainees at the camp were denied the protections of the Geneva Convention. Therefore, torture was permitted, derailing democracy. Detainees were beaten, persecuted, sexually harassed, and humiliated. The violations would culminate with the desecration of the Koran by an officer.

Any kind of action that does harm to another person, no matter whom, is completely immoral and unethical. As all people are interested in maintaining their peace of mind and physical well-being, and as torture violates that interest, torture is immoral.

Violations of human rights like this have occurred multiple times throughout the history of this nation. Examples of this are the raids on gay bars made during the fifties, and attacks on African-American protesters during the sixties. In both cases, the victim of the human rights violation was considered “untrustworthy.” What sets the case of Guantanamo apart is that the victims do indeed have questionable histories, which many people consider justification for harming them. This, however, does not justify the use of torture on the detainees.

Perhaps the best way to look at the ethical dilemma posed by incarcerating these people is through a utilitarian worldview. All people are equal in their ability to suffer. We are causing these people to suffer by abusing them in prison. Considering that causing people to suffer is an immoral thing to do, continuing the practices done at Guantanamo Bay is unethical.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Sunday Sites 18

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http://www.thespeedgamers.com/ The 72 Hour Zelda Marathon/Fundraiser is nearly done, but there is still 24 Hours left. A fun game for a good cause. Money goes to cancer patients.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/221466/march-12-2009/peter-singer Ethical Philosopher Peter Singer appears on the Colbert Report to discuss affluence and morality with Stephen Colbert.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Friday, March 6, 2009

More Letters

Well, the Day of Justice has come and gone, and with that, people have written their protests and letters of advocacy and justice.

Love.

The government doesn't approve of it. Seriously. The people voted, and now it's against the law for gay people to marry. And people thought America was all about equality. Well, thats a joke. Sure, we had the civil rights movement, and that worked itself out. But we still aren't an equal society. Gay people do NOT have equal rights. None of the same benefits of a married couple. And you know what? when interviewed on TV about the prop 8 issue, a catholic priest said "California has been a state for over 160 years. We have never had equal rights for gays. When they were approved, they were voted away by the people only 6 months later." Well, I'm not exactly sure what this proves. Because as a state, we had segregation. African americans did not have equal rights. and you can bet your ass that people voted against their rights. But now, people regret that. They realize what mistakes they made. But why can't gays have the same rights granted to african americans almost 50 years ago? what is wrong with us?

God Bless Fix America

~ Micheal Kreher

Okay, i wore white today, and i'm proud. to all you gay haters out there, go fuck yourself. Gay people are PEOPLE. and guess what? YOUR ARE ALSO PEOPLE! well, isn't that just amazing. but wait, they are GAY so they are less than you? that doesn't work right there. thats not right. Well, hey, if gay people can't marry, then i suppose white people shouldn't marry black people, and rich can't marry the poor? hows that sound for you? or maybe Brits can't marry Americans. thats fair, right? you can only marry the people your PARENTS choose for you, okay? that makes it all easier. NO. everybody deserves the right to marry. its a HUMAN right, and, believe it or not, gays are HUMAN. which does NOT mean that people should marry animals or that children should be forced into marriage with adults. no, it means that TWO GAY OR LESBIAN ADULTS DESERVE THE RIGHT TO MARRY. I would know, my two mothers got married when it was legal. don't let it be taken away. thank you

~ Micheal Kreher

im supporting this all the way. i honestly see no problem with same sex marraige as long as theyre happy and we have the natural right to pursue happiness am i right? it isnt going to hurt anyone. if people think that they shouldnt get married cause then things are going to drastically change then your wrong and should grow up. times are changed. come on. we have what no one thought we would have back then, a black president, so why not keep the change going and have same sex marraige?

~ Steven Mendez

I still have a hard time grasping how homophobes believe gay marriage will have any negative affect on them at all. Do they honestly believe that to make gay marriage illegal will result in a "safer" or "gay-free" world (which I think shouldn't exist anyways, but apparently they do).

~ Diego Otero-Caldwell

It's ok, say as much as you want about Prop 8, and what I find so surprising is that Same-sex marriage is legal in other countries like South Africa but not in the United States, the land of the free? What kind of bs is that?

~ Whole Wheat Toast

San Francisco is a refugee camp for homosexuals. We have fled here from every part of the nation, and like refugees elsewhere, we came not because it is so great here, but because it was so bad there.

~ Carl Wittman

Catholic Spain has approved same sex marriage. Not civil unions... MARRIAGES!

We, in California, on the other hand, are trying very hard to go back in time into the 50's (minus the strong economy, though). I really wonder what's next.


~ Tomate Farcie

There are a lot of folks who have spoken bitterly about how this or that is a sign that we are going to be betrayed by the current administration... we must not give in to cynicism or fear or doubt that our cause is right and just. "Never, never, never give up!" We must remember these words by Winston Churchill whenever we feel tired in our journey towards equality. We must pray, and seek out wisdom and inspiration from all corners of the world. We must continue to speak of our families and values, calmly and quietly, until the entire nation hears us. With humor, and grace, and wit, and dignity, and perseverance, will our struggle for equality be won. We must always remember this! Peace, Geoffrey

~ Pax

Victory was not ours today. But the struggle for equality is not over.

~No on 8

We are unapologetic in our fundamental belief that all individuals be allowed to marry. We are not willing to settle for second-class citizenship in the United States of America.

~ YesonGayMarriage

This great country we call home, With our shabby little houses and our lawns over grown, Full of people with voices, People with opinions, Who are given wonderful choices.We make difference choices every day, And each of us goes a different way. Some of us are straight, Some of us are gay, Some of us say America is Great.

But how can you think in such a way,
When My Country can cast me away because I am gay?
Cast me aside like a broken doll,
And not even care at all?
These tears are real,
And so is the love I feel.
Stop saying it’s wrong.
Stop saying it’s a sin.
Or I’ll say “So long.”
And you’ll never see me again.

I love her,
And I will be with her forever.
And one day I too,
Would like to say “I do”.

We have the same skin,
We breath the same air,
We even share kin,
And live without a care.

Yet on that day,
You took my dreams away.
To marry I must be straight,
According to Proposition Eight.

I am forced to flee my home,
To find somewhere to accept me.
A place I can call my own,
That won’t be so blind to see,
That I love her,
And she loves me.

~ Christina

In 2008, the California Supreme Court was faced with the question of how the values enshrined in Article I apply to same sex marriages. It concluded that the concept of "liberty" includes the right to form the enduring relationship called marriage and that no compelling interest justified denying this right to same sex couples. Just like the right to be free from discrimination in housing, citizens have the right to be free from discrimination in state-granted marriage licenses.

~ Jerry Brown

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

A Letter from Urvi Nagrani


Ms. Urvi Nagrani has posted the following on her Facebook page and has granted us the permission to share it on our blogs. As we approach March 5th, we reflect on how its passing has damaged our community, but has also made us stronger and more vocal people towards the LGBTQ rights movement.

When the verdict is announced for the case to overturn prop 8, I do not want to feel the way I felt on November 5th. This is why I have been motivated to act.


I worked on the case against prop 8 in as intense a way as I felt I could - but looking at it now, I didn’t do enough. I made some calls, talked to friends, phone banked a few times, wore a button, posted a yard sign, put a bumper sticker on my backpack, had a few debates, and did all the basics - but I never stood above the crowd. I was just another supporter of a campaign which I hoped would succeed.

But when it failed I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me and I erupted into tears. It might sound melodramatic, but when prop 8 passed I felt like my identity as a Californian shattered as I realized we weren’t as progressive as I’d like to believe. Sitting on the losing side I for the first time saw myself as a minority. I had always considered my identity as Californian first, and to me that included the idea of a progressive, educated, community oriented citizen. But those two identities no longer melded and suddenly I felt the need to define myself with many more words. After being dragged out of an election party where we’d been celebrating Obama’s victory, I found myself crying in disbelief wondering, “Why?” I blamed myself for not doing enough. I got angry at those around me who couldn’t relate. I became too defensive to listen to the mislead moderates who after talking to I found more understanding than I could have believed that night. I became a reactionary protester who’s only means of expression was dismay. And I don’t want to feel that way again.

So now I’m being proactive. On March 5th I’m going to go to San Francisco not to protest injustice, but to support rectifying the problem. I will stand for equality and civil rights rather than allowing myself to play the role of the victim. And I invite you to join me.

This March we Californians have an opportunity to show the judges we value equality and will support them if they restore it to our laws.

A lot of people say we should wait until 2010 and when we’ll vote again and hopefully win and since 8 is going to be overturned eventually we don’t need to be out there. But if we repeal 8 by that method and this case stands, we’ve still failed because we set legal precedent that it’s okay to remove rights through a simple majority. Which means every election cycle we’ll be playing the same game and spending millions of dollars to determine what rights are to be given. At which point rights aren’t assumed, they’re granted. Rights become privileges and not rights. An idea which offends my idea of what it means to live in a constitutional democratic republic. I like the idea of limits to democracy, and representational government over direct majority rule. And if we say the constitution is a flexible guideline that can be destroyed by a simple majority vote - that enables so many dangerous possibilities.

To quote Benjamin Franklin, “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” Those who say they’re defending traditional marriage are clinging to the security of tradition, and sacrificing civil liberties to achieve that. I don’t expect by the end of this week that everyone who voted Yes on 8 will magically agree with me, but I want to get enough of them to see the risk of legally not protecting civil liberties. This isn’t an issue of Republican versus Democrat - this is an issue of what it means to respect civil rights and the equality of citizens under the law. I hope you take the time out of your schedule and pause to think of these issues before deciding you can’t skip a class - because this is bigger than just another day and just another rally. This is our last chance to have a voice before setting or breaking a dangerous legal precedent. Furthermore California has always been a somewhat progressive state, and if we digress, what will the non-progressive states look like?

I made it through my educational career without ever cutting class. (I do not count excused absences or being ill as cutting) But I will be absent on Wednesday and Thursday. I can think of no single day in my educational career that was worth more than this case will mean. If you can’t be there, I hope you will still give your active support and help invite people to the event! We need to do something above and beyond what’s been done before - after all we don’t want to ask ourselves on March 5th, “Why didn’t I do more?”

I also ask each of my readers to wear white on the fifth of March to show their support of justice. So please do. Wear white to school or work, you will easily stand out and your support will be easily distinguished.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Sunday Sites Sixteen


As March 5th marks the day of justice, let's do another Sunday Sites about homosexual rights. Also, should you be interested, Queer Liberation Week is underway at my photoblog, which can be accessed through my blogger profile.

http://jointheimpact.com/2009/02/get-active-today-a-long-delayed-tools-of-the-week/
This page details a lot of things you can do to demonstrate your opposition to prop 8

http://www.afa.net/ An example of an opponent of gay rights. Analyse and criticise their arguments, as well as our own. By criticising our own arguments, we flesh out flaws and make them stronger.

http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/index.html Again, the American Civil Liberties Union has some great literature and articles to use as a resource for inspiration and help for the movement.

http://www.hrc.org/ Yet another excellent resource for news and events about the movement.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/lgbt-human-rights/page.do?id=1011002 And when we gain equal rights here in the US, it will become important that the entire world grow more accepting of homosexuals as nations grow more connected.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=53238845997&ref=ts
As I said in last week's post about the eve of justice, I have created an event specifically for it.