The Gruff Logician

It's been a pretty good weekend. Highlights include:

• I bought a new suit. Nothing makes me feel better than a brand new suit. Actually looking good in general does wonders in increasing my positive outlook on life. I have a couple already. Mostly social type suits in your grey and greens. What my wardrobe has been missing is a good, solid professional suit. All I needed was circumstance and an excuse. Both of which I got in the form of a tax refund and a job change where I meet with more professional clientel. So after two afternoons of looking I settled on a nice, black hugo boss suit. So I'm now set for meetings, weddings, and funerals. I'm the triple threat.
  
• Some hot World of Warcraft action went down.
  
• Kris and I chose to "celebrate" valentines day on Friday. It was more of a negotiation really. My opening move was that I was actually buying her off for helping me with my suit selection. I thought that meant some take out but she thought that meant a nice italian meal with wine and everything. I then countered with italian take out and a bottle of red from the liquor store. She said sit down will count double for valentines and helping with the suit. I said 'Done'. So she got what she wanted and I'm off the hook for 'V' day. It's a win-win.
  
• I slept in.
  

It's Friday night so I just thought I'd ramble for a bit. New rambes are denoted by the bullets.

• I was out in Phoenix this week. I can't go to Phoenix, AZ and not feel like I love the area. The weather is crazy awesome, the food is great, and I swear to god you can't get lost. All the roads run a straight up North/South and East/West directions. If you have the slightest inkling of the direction you want to go, you can find it. The worst case scenarios is that you run into one way streets. I'd give serious consideration to moving to Phoenix. On the flip side, I didn't think much of Tuscon.
  
• There's a lot of travel in World of Warcraft.
• That being said, the time I was just wasting traveling on griffons can now be channeled into blogging because I have a laptop sitting next to me now.
  
• I dont know if people have been following Bode Miller and his earlier antics or his more recent antics. I was watching sports center today and they were ripping into this guy for calling out Bonds and Armstrong for cheating the system. The way I heard the ESPN guys say it they were dissing him for a lack of professional courtesy. He was an athlete, Bonds and Armstrong are athletes so he should keep his mouth shut. All the guy really said was there are loopholes in drug testing programs and that it's a hard thing to prove that someone "knowingly" took steroids. He isn't exactly Einstein for thinking this. I'm not saying he should be commended for his outspoken comments. But with regards to Bonds and Armstrong, he just said what a certain percentage of the population was thinking. I think Bonds was definitely dirty and knew it (along with Sosa, McGwire, etc.). Armstrong I'm not so sure but I'm not sure I care. I'd feel worse that he wouldn't be able to give Sheryl Crow the hardcore loving she definitely deserves. ESPN did get one part right, if Miller doesn't at least finish with a medal he's going to look stupid. Oh and if he doesn't show up clean or has a few skeletons in the closet, they'll crucify him for it.
  

And i thought some of the people at my place of employment were incompetent.

Many of you have probably glanced over my mission statement. It's the statement right below the title of my blog. For those too lazy to glance up to read it (you know who you are), it quite clearly states

A place where rational thought can fly in the face of every day stupidity.

(OT for sec: It just occurred to me that the reason I ever started blogging in the first place is to just vent about the stupid stuff we come across every day. Everything from the guy who cuts you off in traffic to save 2 cars at the next red light to politics to just about anything. This dumb shit is what makes up our daily existence. And while this thought it wholly and completely depressing at least the human race has clear room for improvement. But I digress.)

Today's stupid action comes from MLB. (More specifically the player's association but hey I don't differentiate here.) MLB is apprently exercing their "rights" and asking the court to award "ownership" of the "intellectual property" of baseball stats. Fantasy leagues everywhere would pay a fee to use the stats to score their leagues. Are you kidding me? Pass me the ganja MLB and the player's union is rocking because that has to be one hell of a buzz.

This quote is the best:

"Major League Baseball has claimed that intellectual property law makes it illegal for fantasy league operators to "commercially exploit the identities and statistical profiles" of big league players."

Stephen Colbert might call the AP the biggest threat to America, but I'd actually say it is "intellectual property rights". The whole idea has gone overboard. (Read the opening quote on that story the word overboard is linked to and you'll get the idea. ) But IPR and the screwed up mess that is the law system governing it, is a whole topic for a different post.

I have to ask this question and I hope MLB will find the hole in the backwater part of the internet my blog resides in and answer this one question with some elaboration: Do you really want us to watch your games? The whole reason stats are relevant is to determine rankings. Ranking of who gets into the hall of fame and who doesn't. Ranking fans on who knows more. I mean let's face it, in the fantasy leagues I play in the money is secondary (and it's nice). It's for bragging rights and a way that one person gets to say they know more about "insert your sport here" than the other guy. Period. You take away that ranking system and you take away my motivation to watch.

Once the courts decide to award "intellectual property rights" to MLB for stats you can just hear MLB's bretheren (NFL, NBA, and NHL) licking their chops for the same "rights". To me it actually seems like MLB is the little brother who's been put up to a prank here. (Pst Tommy, I dare you to put shit in a bag and set it on fire on Old Man Thompson's porch and ring the bell.) And then the other leagues said a collective "Oh, shit, he really did it!" Now they get to wait and see what really happens. If MLB wins, MLB is a hero. If MLB loses, its a public relations problem for MLB and not the other leagues, but its a black eye to all of them to me.

I tell you one thing, if MLB is awarded "rights" to the stats and fantasy leagues have to pay a fee to use them, I will NEVER play fantasy sports again. In fact, I will never watch another game NFL, MLB, or otherwise. I will refuse to care about major league sports.

Also, remember these are the people asking for public funds for stadiums. But they don't actually want you to do anything fun with their product.

Some of you might remember that I bought a projector for my basement. I purchased it, set it up in a fever, blood lusted rush and enjoyed movies in 76" full projection glory. Upon this hurried installation, my basement could have been classified as "College Functional". Cords everywhere, boxes were considered usable furniture, and a card board table adorned the room. You get the idea. And while the card board table is still present, I took the liberties of cleaning it up a bit.

I purchased a ceiling mount from Target (of all places) and took the liberties of hiding the cords to the projector (see mid-project picture as the last picture) and speakers in the ceiling. I made some of the decorative features in the room my proverbial bitch and now it looks pretty good. Movies look good. I have 7.1 stereo sound with my home theatre system. It's not top of the line stuff but it's better than crap. I think with the projector, screen, the Matrix Ultimate DVD collection, ceiling mount, and a couple trips to the hardware store for goodies I'm in for $900. The neon sign and slightly decorative chair was free too.

This just in. Schools are broke.

I'm a gamer which, by definition, means I play video games for fun and recreation.

That being said, I think I should weigh in on this Xbox 360 thing.

It's not like people aren't talking about the Xbox 360. (Heretoforth known as 360 unless otherwise noted.) With all the people reporting on it, writing about it, reviewing it, and spewing marketing bullshit, one would think it logical to conclude I'd know something about it. It's like everyone has some sort of 360 hysteria fever. Seriously, 20 something men are passing out like those teen chicks when the Beetles were on the the Ed Sullivan show just talking about it.

I mean I've seen the specs. I've seen the game reviews. But how does it play? What new features does it do that I can't get a modded xbox to do? (Other than HD.)

I'd love to tell you but Microsoft botched something. There aren't enough of them. People are going nutz. Seriously, when people are freaking out, they aren't calmed by doublespeak:

"The communication has been two-way regarding our allocation, they are in contact with us and we are in contact with them." ....Gamestop Spokesman Chris Olivera

So short of having $2500 to purchase the 'buy it now' option on ebay, let's try applying some logic to this little problem.

FAQ
Is the console worth playing? Who knows. For $525 ($400 for the xbox and 2 games or a controller thingy), you'd think the reviews of the release games would be better. I mean how bullshit is it that the 360 version of madden would have less features than the lower priced xbox version of madden? That is whack yo.

Did Microsoft screw this one up? I have to say I don't think they have yet, but if they don't get a significant number of these out before Christmas and people end up buying the remaining few on ebay, Microsoft is going to see a revolt. Of epic proportions. Editorial people will write indignent letters to the editor. Gaming forums will storm with fanboi controversy. Journalists will write in Forbes magazine on how Microsoft will lose marketshare in a multi-billion dollar industry. It would be ugly.

I think if Microsoft had a wharehouse of these somewhere like Scrooge McDuck they would be marketing geniuses. However, call me disillusioned but I don't think a large company could pull of such a great marketing stunt. I think they honest to god screwed the pooch on this one. And not just because they don't have enough units.

Adding to the fact that 360s aren't available, but what do you really know about it? Read any interview that Jay Allard has ever given and try to tell me what he said. I mean pick a quote and try to figure out what tangible product he is describing.

Hell I don't even know if I did happen to find one that it wouldn't be defective because there's conflicting reports on how many are defective. Nobody wants to buy a defective product. Could be the best bread slicer ever but if it never works, it's not very good bread slicer. At this point I'm ready to believe crude fanboi posts over the marketing speak Microsoft is putting out.

Combine this with mediocre game reviews were most of them mention the word 'short' (I tried to find the link for that one.) and you've got a recipe for a big, old fashioned public yawn. The 360 isn't supposed to be yawned at. It's supposed to be the 'hot' item. Hell even Al stated that he didn't think he'd really need one until Oblivion comes out (March 20, 2006).

So long story short, I don't know what to tell you. Go play World of Warcraft or something.

Oh yeah and I got engaged. Kristen said yes.

I'll be honest. I haven't posted recently.

No, it's true.

Don't believe me? My last post was September, 2nd. And I posted a picture of my World of Warcraft character. If that doesn't peg me as the world's like 3.14159265'th geek in the world I don't know what would.

All nerdling jokes aside, my readers didn't bring me back. I wouldn't cheapen us both with such parlor tricks. How would you know I hadn't "sold out" if 3 people's opinion could sway me? You wouldn't.

I came back because I was called out of duty. This post was drafted into the war between stupidity and common sense. And no one could have seen it coming. Not even my semi-omniscient readers.

I submit to you this.

Shield your eyes from the abject horror that lies within that link.

Get thee to the nunnery of sane and reason if you happen to glance upon its contents.

That's no ordinary bunny. Look at the bones.

But I digress.

I've been reading in the paper's about the MN's state budget. Now mind you, I haven't done any real research. I am using reference material from memory out of the newspaper articles I've read lately. So my conclusion is only as good as a newspaper's fact checking crew and I believe we all know they've made some mistakes.

The state of MN brings in 31 Billion dollars in taxes/revenues every 2 years (called a bieneium). 13 Billion of that 31 Billions goes to schools every two years. That's billions with a 'B' and the school budget is a large slice of the proverbial 'B' pie. But the fine MN citizens pay this money without much of a gripe.

But the monster demands to be fed and our school system is demanding more money because we are shortchanging our children's futures. But to be against spending more money on education is tantamount to hating kids. In public. Occasionally throwing something at them. With a group of nuns watching. And to prove that we aren't all a bunch of rock throwing, kid-haters, we keep voting to increase our property taxes to give them more money.

Ok, now that we've paid the schools more they will go away. Nope, school levy again this year. I swear District 196 must have had 3 different levies in the past 3 years each time asking for more money for education.

The state of MN even got lucky and just discovered we have a $1 Billion dollar state surplus now for the next bienium. Nice chunk of change. One would logically think that could go for roads, or another light rail project, or a new stadium. People are standing all over with their hands out. Nope. $700 million goes right back to the school system.

That's all water under the bridge though baby.

Ain't no thing but a chicken wing baby.

Why don't you look over there while I steal your momma little boy.

Or something, something.

Anywho.

I've dealt with it and moved on. The taxes going to schools thing I mean.

By now I hope you have read the above link and come to the same logical conclusion I did.


WHISKEY!!! TANGO!!! FOXTROT!!!

Can you believe that shit? Apparently the school year wasn't f'ing long enough and some how our kids are falling behind China. You remember China? The communists. We're behind the f'ing communists again. That news 'article' threw the communism card, bitch. And you better recognize.

But we're behind 32 other states that have 180 days or more of education? So let's make it over 200. Hell, why not make it 366? The Kansas State Board of Education can redefine science. Why can't the MN board of education teach our kids 366 days a year? I say if our elected school board officials can't make that happen then it is our public duty to elect some people who can.

Now I realize I started off giving you some whoopity doo dollar figures and some cracked up story about how schools are always asking for more money. And now I will tie up all of these ramblings like 1,000 points of light. (Hell, if George Bush had a point in that speech, I couldn't find it.)

Common sense will tell you that adding 25 days more of school a year would most likely cost more money. This comes from the premise that schools spend less money on kids when kids are not there. I'm sure there's a figure showing that somewhere but I won't look it up. You'll just have to assume I haven't sold out to corporate interests.

So let me recap. The state of MN is broke with a $1 billion dollar surplus. The schools are broke with a $13 billions dollar budget but could do better with more money. The state of MN pays more in taxes to keep school administrators from cutting programs. But we should extend the school year to 200 days? 25 working days is 5 weeks to us 40 hour, 9-5 joes. I believe someone even mentions that it would be expensive in the article.

But have no fear. Our state government is here.

"He supports a variety of measures that will increase student achievement and believes this is a useful tool,'' said the spokesman, Brian McClung. "It would really make Minnesota nation-leading in yet another aspect of our education system.''

Thank god the Governer's spokesperson is on the case and I don't think he said a goddamn thing.

I mean if you're head doesn't explode after reading all of that, you, sir or ma'am, exist on a whole different plane than this dude. You are The Stanger and I am your Big Lebowski. But if this whole strange and twisted scenario really doesn't bake your noddle, this should. This behavior is considered normal and typical. You don't see people rioting in the streets over this do you? This is it. This is how our state runs.

Ick.

That's all I got. Enjoy your day.

I thought this was hilarious. If you clicked on the link before the explanation, then it probably isn't as funny so let me expound.

I play World of Warcraft (heretoforth WoW for short). I play a Dwarf Hunter named Huladdachnk. Hula for short. Anyway, I went on a horde raid this weekend for the first time. Basically we rounded up 30 or so online Alliance players and marched into our vowed enemy's (the Horde) territory. We took over one of their towns and fought them off as long as we could. It was great fun.

The above screen shot shows my in-game valor is directly proportional to my real life valor. I'm the one that is one fire. Runny away. Screaming "MEDIC!!!!!" Never before has discretion been the better part of valor to that extent. Of course never before has my gaming skills been so naked for all the world to see.

I killed a few as well as ran away so I really did prove some of my mettle in battle. Maybe you had to be there but it was a great time.

Fun facts:

Huladdachnk has a bear named Leeroy.

For those who haven't seen the Leeroy video here's a link. If you've ever spent 10 minutes gaming that video should be funny to you. If it isn't, I feel bad that you have no joy in your life.

Hey as long as I'm posting something I'll send a link to this article. It's an editorial on how Mark McGwire said he'd be the poster boy for an anti-steroids campaign in his testimony to Congress and why he hasn't lived up to his words.

Here are some reasons why this whole baseball steroids thing is funny and sad at the same time:

1. Mark McGwire tells Congress he won't talk about the past and he'll be a steroids spokeperson and doesn't. Does anyone think Mr. McGwire DIDN'T take steroids?
2. Rafael Palmero testifies strongly he's never done steroids. Less than 6 months later he's suspended for testing postive.
3. Does anyone else wonder why John McCain is so interested in governing professional sports? I think his connection is shady.
4. At least 2 people blatantly testified falsely in front of Congress and Congress has to open an investigation. Congress can't even get them on perjury charges. How are these some of the most powerful people in the United States? Or does that fact expose the Congressional hearingsof baseball for the fraud they were? You be the judge.
5. On the 2nd page of that link, was anyone else amazed at how incredibly hot his wife is? Good job man. For both the wife and the false testimony in front of Congress. You the man Dawg.

For those wondering where I've been, I've been playing a lot of World of Warcraft lately. Excellent game if you're into that kind of thing. I'm thinking I'll be raking leaves soon too.