The Londonium

Right! Here we are again, at the helm of yet another post on the Blog with a Memorable Name. As always, it has been an Epoch since my last post, but I actually have an excuse this time!

You see, I am in London, capital of our mildly shabby nation, enjoying the many flavours of art and culture it has to offer, though, regrettably, without a reliable source of internetings. I've been assisting in the construction and operation of Folly for a Flyover, a delightful little project in Hackney which, if you can (and I know all four of you can't), you should check out.

I've also been dipping my toes in the world of theatre, trying out a Drama course, which has been brilliant. I was an Antelope for a little while. What fun! This little course has motivated me to pursue theatre as my "calling." So, that's good I suppose.

Things that have been on my mind to rant about:

D&D Essentials/Encounters: I played a game of D&D Encounters last Wednesday and ... well ... I wasn't impressed. The only way I could describe it was like D&D 4.0 but with all the fun, new, cool stuff taken out and replaced with combat and railroading. While I enjoy combat, I feel it should enhance the story, rather than being the focus of the game with the plot only hanging around to give a vague reason for the next fight. The Essentials version of the game seems determined to reinforce the old limitations on the character classes: Healers spend the entire game being nagged at and Fighters have had their cool Fighter-powers taken away, restricting them to the options of: Hitting things or Nagging the Healer.

Infinity: A fun little 20mm scale Skirmish game. Uses D20s and reactive actions. It all seems a bit complicated at first glance, but once you've seen a game played it all comes together. Also contains the best Samurai with Rocket Launchers ever.

X-Men: First Class: Undoubtedly the best of the X-men films ... and, while that isn't saying much, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very good use of Magneto's powers and a great characterization of Beast. Also contains the best cameo ever.

Akira: I saw all of the classic anime Akira the other day, and it was brilliant. I've seen bits and pieces before and enjoyed the bike chases and psychic destruction, but I didn't realize quite how vague the ending was. Still, a lot of fun. Also contained the most unfortunate character of all time.

I can't think of anything else at this exact moment, so I will bid you a dew. One dew, going once, going twice, SOLD to the angry Scottish woman that called me lazy!

Lots of love, R. Rabbit.

PS. If you want to get in contact with me, shoot me an Email! While I'm rather detached from the worlds of Blogging and IMing I can still fire Emails across the void now and again.

Three Hours of My Life that I will Never Get Back

Green "computer letters" show credits over a geological map of the world, complete with numbers and readouts and suchlike. The kind of over dramatic pseudo-military orchestral score that, judging from games and films at the moment, is associated with the American Army plays, while some faint images from (Presumably) this game's predecessor are shown at the side of the screen.
The music ends with a flourish, and large words pop onto the screen:

"Five Years Later."

Um ... what? Five Years Later than what ...? The Opening Credits!?

Then, a gruff American voice, the kind that you know you're going to grow to hate announces: "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
What the Fuck does that mean!?

It is then that I realise the level of bullshit I have decended into.

This is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which I picked up with a mixture of curiousity and trepidation. I wanted to not only see what all the fuss was about, but also to know why those "True Gamers" are so keen to bash this kind of stuff.
What have I learned? Well ... I've certainly found out why these games are worthy of the hate they received from the Hardcore Nerd Crowd, as I will now explain ...

Now, what are the defining qualities of a game? Well, based on my personal experience (so feel free to disagree) truely Awesome Games have Awesome Gameplay and Awesome Narrative. So, it is in these areas I will rate Modern Warfare 2.

*Deep Breath* Here we go. I don't blame you if you turn back now. God knows I almost did.

Gameplay!

The actual nuts and bolts of MW2 are indistinguishable from any other First Person Shooter you've ever picked up on a console. It conforms to all the tropes of Shooters today, one of which considerably vexes me: The lack of a health bar.
When you are shot in MW2, the screen is covered in "blood" (I am using very heavy quotation marks here, as it looks like someone has just poured Strawberry Jam over your TV screen) and, if you take much more damage, you die. If, however, you take cover, the "blood" gradually dissapates.
This is my first gripe with MW2: Realism. Now, I don't know much about Real Life Modern Combat, having never taken part in any, but, it is my understanding that that isn't how being shot in real life works.
"But, Rude!" my easily manuplated theoretical audience shouts, "Since when have you cared about Realism!? Your favourite game is Monkey Island, and in that game you fit a six-foot Banana Picker in your Trousers!"
Well, Dear Hypothetical Readers, normally I wouldn't give a levitating monkey anus, but, Modern Warfare occationally throws out an annoying snag in the player's direction in the name of Realism; examples being:
1) Grenades that are difficult to aim.
B) Enemies that are nigh impossible to see.
iii) Bullet shitstorms taking place from every direction at once.
Four) Allies that are just as, if not, more useless than you.
V) Reload times on many of the weapons that give you an oppertunity to go into the other room and make a cup of tea while you wait.

Examples of Unrealism and Game Logic that totally make you scratch your head and wonder what the game developer was thinking when they put together this hodgepodge of a game:
1) Exploding Barrels EVERYWHERE, including, but not limited to; A Brazillian Ghetto, Washington DC and a Russian Gulag.
2) Commanders continually sending soldiers into situations where "bogeys" (That term still makes me chuckle) approach from every direction, including above, and expect them to get on with their mission, dispite the fact that no real fighting unit could possibly survive.
3) The butt of a gun doing more damage to a man than a bullet.
4) A soldier being sent of alone. Tantamount to Certain Death.
5) Friendly Fire being switched off (I'm sure the US army wishes this one was in the above list)
6) Infinite Lives, rather than, y'know, one.
And, my personal favourite ...
7) Riot shields stopping all ordinance, including focused machine gun fire.

I wish the developer would just take a format and stick to it, rather than randomly switching back and forth between Realism and Videogame Craziness as they see fit.

Another important aspect of Gameplay is difficulty. Now, at the beginning of the game you're sent through an assault course and your speed (rather than accuracy, for whatever reason) determines the difficulty setting for the game. I got medium difficulty, because I shot some civillians (since when does the US armed forces give a shit about civillians?) and took too long trying to figure out where I was supposed to be going. Happy with this, I got on with the game.
Not only did I complete this travesty in an afternoon, there were only a couple of bits that gave me trouble. Now, I might not have cared so much if these diffult parts were challenging or fun, but they were just frustrating. The fun parts were short and unsatifying, while these "throw-the-controller-at-the screen" parts dragged on and on and on and on and (repeat infinitely) ....
For the most part, if I died I could push past the bit that killed me on the second or third attempt.

Perhaps the biggest letdown of MW's Gameplay was the ending. Now, after one particularly throw-myself-out-the-window level, I was expecting a finale that tested my every reflex! A mighty battle of epic proportians!
I got a pretty easy gunfight, a chase down a river on a boat, and an almost-quicktime-event-like knife fight which got less and less action-packed as it went on, winding down into a still screen.
Oh.
Note that two thirds of that finale wasn't actually using the FPS mechanic, and so, really, was nothing to do with the game.
This brings up an interesting occurence in games: When the final level is completely different to the rest of the game and makes you wonder what all that practice you were doing in preperation of it was for. Good examples: Enter the Matrix, when, after a game of action-kungfu-gunfights you have ... a rail shooter ...? And as said before, Assassain's Creed, when, after a gameful of being told "Don't get into fights! Be Stealthy!" you are forced to have a Swordfight.

Ultimately Gameplay was bland, uninspired, inconsistent and ... boring. As I believe I said in the Gears of War rant, Boring is the WORST thing a game can be.

Narrative!
Short Version: What Narrative ...?

Long Version: The most defining aspect of a game is its Hero. What would Super Mario Brothers be without Mario and Luigi? Nothing! Who would want to play Sonic the Hedgehog if they had to play as Tails? No-one! Would Metal Gear Solid be HALF as entertaining if it didn't have Solid Snake growling out wit and cynicism to every giant robo-mech that crossed his path? Well ... I think Metal Gear Solid 2 sort of answers that one ...
So, for Modern Warfare 2 to succeed, its got to have a badass gunman hero ... like Master Chief, but with an AK47 and Combat Knife rather than Plasma Rifle and super cheap oh my god what were they thinking Plasma Sword.
At the beginning of the game you're given a name.
That's it.
Your name.
Have fun.

... honestly, that is the extent of the hero's characterization.
Actually, using the term "hero" is a little misleading, as your initial character dies three missions into the game. Over the course of Modern Warfare 2's "now-I-know-how-my-girlfriend-feels"-short storyline you take the wheel of four seperate men.
Two of these four die.
Only one of them actually has a spoken line, and that's because he starts out as an NPC, barking orders at you over the radio.

Really!? How are we supposed to care about these people if they're just "your face here" cutouts with no personality?
Now, credit where credit's due, the NPC-Turned-PC; "Soap" McTaggart, is pretty cool, and makes up one of the two characters that I actually gave a fuck about over the course of my MW experience. There are a couple of problems even with him, however.
We're never told anything about him. All his background is inferred. He's some kind of SAS/Royal Marine Commando type killer. He's Scottish. He has a pretty sweet mohawk.
What's with the nickname? Some kind of prison thing ...?
We don't have any motivation for him. Why is he in the army? Does he believe in his cause?
When it boils down to it, he's just a slightly-fleshed out version of the three your-face-here heroes. Only, he's British. Which is kinda cool, I guess.

So, we don't have a hero ... but surely we have great motivation! Some horrific evil that must be stopped, or incredably important mission upon which the safety of the free world hinges!
Well, after the whole "Unchanging change" speech and the assault course, you're sent into downtown Kabul. Why? You're not told. You're just given some meaningless bullshit by the General, Shepard, whose voice you already hate.
Then, after a building gets blown up, a lot of Afgans die and everyone cheers (I must say, if that's how American Soldiers really behave. I am appalled) you're in the mountains, infiltrating a base. Of course, you're not told that, you're fed more crap-which-means-nothing by General Shepard. You find out, through experience, mind you, that you're looking for a little device with one of those acronames which are so popular these days. Then you escape.
Honestly. I'm not leaving anything out. The player has been left high and dry. I think the game developers assume we'd know Americans = Good. Afgans = Bad. Unfortunately for them, I can think for myself. Where is the justification? I'm going around, killing all these men without ANY morality being discussed. If they were directly threatening some innocent babies or something, I might be okay with all the murder, but, as such, I'm not.
Anyway, inexplicably, you're now in Russia, working undercover for "the Bad Guy," Mikalov (or something like that) killing civillians in an Airport.

Now ... this bit is supposed to indicate how evil Makalov (or whatever) is. He's killing civillians and is a really bad guy.
But, at the time, my thought process was as such: "So, Molotov (and such) kills innocent people for money ... well ... at least he's honest about it! He's not going around blowing people up under the guise of "defending the free world." He's being forthright, and I respect that."
Cynical, perhaps ... but, really, if your bad guy makes your good guys just look dishonest, you're not off to a good start.

Anyway, things esculate and some more shit happens, culminating in a Russian invasion of the USA, and a subsiquent reta- ...
... wait ... back up ... Russia ...? Russia. Really.
Attention America! The Cold War ended a little while ago! This Red Dawn Bullshit isn't impressing anyone!

I imagine America misses the Cold War, a time when the nation and its allies were united against a common threat, rather than divided because of it. But, frankly, now it's just a little racist.

I mean ... look at this! It just screams of "Look at the Red Menace attacking your suburban street!"

Simply put. It's propaganda. Horrific Pro-American tripe designed to brainwash players into thinking America really is this force-for good in the world, and that going and shooting people really is a great solution to the world's problems.

I hate to become as preachy as MW2, but, frankly, I see no other reason for such a thing to exist. It's honestly frightening.

So, all in all, Narrative gets a -3/10

Conclusion:
If you want a mindless FPS, go play Halo. It's got everything this hasn't.
Now, I haven't played multiplayer, but, I must say, if it uses the same mechanics as the rest of the game, I don't see what it could possibly offer that any other FPS doesn't already.

If I hear "Hooah" one more time, I'm going to vomit,
Rude Rabbit, esq.

PS.
Writing about Assassain's Creed reminds me! I finished Assassain's Creed 2 and it was really good. From start to finish. I thoroughly recommend you pick it up! Unlike a certain other game I might mention.
Oh, and if you do get Assassain's Creed 2, make sure you hunt for all the Glyphs! It's difficult, but rewarding.

The Year of the Rabbit

Oh my! Well, it's been a busy winter ... not only for me, but for everyone, as far as I can tell. The economic climate grows increasingly more unreasonable, made worse with our Unholy Marriage of Liars and Thieves ... or "Coalition government," as they choose to call themselves, taking everyone's cash, School has resumed for most-if-not-all of you, which is no doubt causing you endless bewizzlement, and Egypt is rioting and raving and ranting, which, if you're like me and enjoy the idea of a Letter-R based revolution*, is REALLY cool.

*Big Bird: 'Today's coup is sponsered by the Letter "R."

Now, I seem to remember having an awful lot to write about ... hrmm ... let's see what I can remember: (Oh, and I'm going to have my subtitles as quotes-that-I-didn't-actually-say today, just to shake things up)

"I watched a Football game!"
Nope, I assure you ... it happened. No-one is more surprised than me. The MOST surprising thing about it was ... wait for it ... you're not going to believe it ...

I actually enjoyed it.

I know, I know ... who would've thought that being in a bar full of angry geordies shouting at Greek Sports Television would've actually been fun.
A Certain Newcastle-Inhabitant That I Know dragged me through his city-of-abode, desperately seeking somewhere to watch the Newcastle-Verses-Sunderland game. (Note for the UnEducated Brothers, or NUEB: Newcastle and Sunderland are mortal enemies whose mutual hatred stems back to the English Civil War, where both would mercilessly brutalise one-another for, in-all-honesty, trivial reasons. [Rather like today, judging by Sunderland's antics, ho ho ho.])
All the Sports channels, in their infinite-wisdom, chose not to broadcast the game, so those few bars and pubs that were hosting the athletic extravaganza were packed to the proverbial bursting point. It seemed like all of Newcastle was out on the streets, searching for a place to fufill their televisual pedaglobular desires. One bar was actually letting people in is SHIFTS. Eventually, we found a smaller venue (the Duke of Wellington, as I've been reminded,) which didn't require us to stand on furnature to see.
On some primal level, cheering along with the crowd really got me going ... the feeling of being one with a group of people (even if my "posh" accent did draw the odd funny look,) is really quite astonishing.
Anyway, Newcastle were robbed (ROBBED!) of the game by a rogue goal in extra time. (Another NUEB: This extra time seemed rather undeserved, and, combined with the referee seemingly allowing Sunderland [Or, "The Mackems," as an angry Geordie might call them] to get away with murder, gave the resulting tie a very bitter taste for the "Magpies" as the Newcastle team are known.)
What charming fun!

"OH MY GOD ... every game from now on will be a DISSAPOINTMENT."
What game could possibly invoke such a strong reaction? Well ... as those that know me and my tendancy to over-exaggerate, pretty much any game, but, in this instance, Red Dead Redemption, Rock Star's sort-of-is-GTA-but-it-isn't Wild West Epic.
Note: When I say "Epic," I don't mean the Internet's "woah thats epic!!!!!111one," I mean Epic in the classic "Long, Winding Moral Tale." I mean ... honestly, if it wasn't portrayed in the most unaccepted-yet widespread artistic medium the world currently possesses, this game would be up their with all the Cowboy Greats. If it was a film, it'd make Clint Eastwood cry.

Here's my mental progression with the game:
Beginning: Wow! This is like GTA but with horses! AND no voratious nagging cousins on the phone! What refreshing fun!
Middle: This is great! I'm getting to go through all the cliches and tropes of the Western, and yet it doesn't feel stilted or done-before ... plus, it hasn't got the barely-a-plotline-plotline of a GTA game! This is GREAT!
End: OH. MY. GOD ... did they just ... but it was ... and I just ... o.o ... *Mind is Blown.*

I'd go into further depth ... but ... I don't need to. It won Game of the Year for a reason.
If you don't have it already, go get it. Like ... NOW.

"Hey, Hairy Arms aren't so Bad!"
Err ... the least said about this one, the better ... let's move on.

"That'll be Twenty Pounds Please, Ma'am!"
Yep ... adding to the unbelievablity of this post, I am (sort-of) employed! Well ... I'm not being payed ... but, still! I'm doing work!
Pumping petrol is the name of the game, though I don't get an awesome hat and bow-tie. I've also learned how to: Fill Oil, Inflate Tires, Change Tires, Cut Someone's Break Lines and Work a Till! Important life and vocational skills!
It's also something I've been enjoying in an odd way ... now, that might sound odd, me being the underachieving sloth that I am, but helping the local women fill up their tanks is rewarding in its own way. *Nod nod*

That's all I can think of for now ... if I come up with anything else, you'll (possibly) be the first to know!

Lots of Love/Loathing,
Rude Rabbit Esq.

*We interrupt our scheduled broadcast for this public service announcement*

I was going to write a post, but my brand spanking new Xbox has grown a Red Light of Death ... no, not even a ring ... a mere light.
I am BadMooded.

Praying the Cable's to blame,
R. Rabbit,

Also ...

Yes, I ripped off the idea. Sue me.

Christmas Presence.

Well, Jesus-Birthday-Times have passed us by, and I hope you've enjoyed them as much as I have! I suppose I shouldn't brag, but here's my haul from this year:

1. I inherited my cousin's X-Box 360 that he doesn't use any more, along with a random assortment of games. This leads into the topic of today's rant.
2. An Ian M. Banks book. If you're of the reading sort, I recommend his "Culture" series of Sci-Fi novels, all about a Utopian Human Society that live of Disks. Very cool concept, very cool content, very cool writing style.
3. Paints for my fledgling Black Legion Chaos Space Marines, which an Inquisitor friend of mine has given me painting advice for. Very charitable of him, when you consider that might be considered heresy.
4. A flying UFO that my eleven-year old Second Cousin managed to ruin within ten seconds of clapping eyes on it. Joy. -.-;;

It's been weird seeing how members of my family have changed (or stayed the same, as the case may be) in the past three years ... aforementioned second cousin didn't even remember my name, which was sobering indeed.

Anyway, on with the subject of this post: two X-Box Games.

First up: Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II,

Just so you know, I've finished Assassin's Creed, and have just started my murderous career in Ubisoft's Renaissance offering.
Now, I loved the first game. It was awesome, even if the ending was a little irking in both it's execution and it's plot's vagueness. Simply put, a game which has told you the merits of Stealth and Subtlety from the get-go should NOT end with a series of sword fights.
I don't really have many negative remarks ... other than controlling jumps could be tricky at times, particularly (much to my dismay) in the insta-death-if-you-fall-off-a-pole dock mission. Why does Altair SINK? Didn't they think that the ability to SWIM might be useful for an Assassin?
"Freerunning? Of Course! Backstroke? Don't be ridiculous!"
Needless to say, when I saw Etzio (Altair's Successor in the killing-people business) swimming, I was greatly relieved ... even if it does mean that the dodgy jump controls remain.
I've barely scratched the surface of numero douce, but have gleaned enough from it to know it's merits and weaknesses in relation to it's predecessor.
Etzio is a MUCH more likable character than Altair. He's a human, with human desires and motivations who, through the events of the story, gets turned into a killer ... while Altair is just a lifeless robot. Other than pride, he has little to define him.
The first game's out-of-the-Animus sections (the Animus being the device that allows the main character, Desmond Miles, to see his ancestor's exploits, and whose experiences act as a framing device for the story) are VASTLY superior to the seconds. All the action in game one takes place in one cold, sterile oppressive room, which really gives us an idea of the hero's helplessness and bondage. In game two ... all of that imagery is thrown out of the window, the mysterious nature of the villain's headquarters is ruined, and we're allowed to not only move around freely, but also fight people.
Now, I understand that the games are leading up to Desmond's personal fight against the baddies, but ... it's coming about in a very odd fashion. In the first game, the Professor's comments imply that Desmond is already an able Assassin, while, in game two, he has to be assisted in fighting some security guards (which felt out-of-place themselves, considering the implied security in game one) by a secretary. The crud ...?
Game two's addition of money and purchasable equipment was a nice change, though, I felt we could've done without the "fixing-up-the-mansion" element of the game, which is both time-consuming and ... well ... not very fun. Which, in the context of a GAME, is DIRE. Dying your clothes Deep Plumb, however, more than makes up for the largely ignorable diversion.
The last point that springs to mind in favour of Assassin's Creed might be considered minor, but really stuck out in my mind: the introduction of Freerunning. I am willing to believe Altair climbing up window-frames from the get-go, as he had been trained from birth to kill dudes, and was happily doing so.
Etsio, on the other hand starts the game as a carefree rake, and yet is capable of running up walls and leaping across ledges like a pro ... and it just seems ... odd. I mean, one might think that he has been taught by his father/brother ... but ... really. It still seems weird.
So far I'm liking Two more than One, but, goodness knows, I've been let down by an enjoyable story before. In any case, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Brotherhood.

Gears of War:

OMGWTFBBQ!?!?!?!!!!1111one

Now ... this is a perfectly legitimate game, and I don't want you to think I'm bashing it in any way ... but ... why does everyone speak so highly of this!?! O.o
I have never found myself more INFURIATED with a level one than GoW ... I mean ... REALLY. WHAT is the big deal here!?! There are two reasons for this frustration:

Cover Shooter, Eh?
Now, in Gears of War, you play as Marcus Fenix (or some equally retarded misspelling) who, in a long-standing Shooter tradition, is a armour-clad, muscle-bound, steroid pumping Space Marine ... in fact, he's even more overtly manly and gruffly-unlikable than the VAST majority of other shooter heroes ...
... and yet ... he's a total pansy.
What kind of hero has to HIDE BEHIND A SOFA ...?
Now, I see what the idea is ... the designers were trying to add a bit of realism to the shooter genre ... but, personally, having to cower behind a piece of wall and wait for my health to recharge (yes, VERY realistic. <.<) doesn't strike me as particularly FUN ... which, as I said before, is kind of an important element in a GAME. ... I mean ... be honest, who's more fun to be? An enlisted British soldier in the Trenches of World War One, desperately keeping his head underground for fear of dying a painful death ... or RAMBO. Motherfucking RAMBO. I admit, as I've gone on, I've got the hang of not rushing into combat or trying to actually engage my enemy from anywhere but inside a heavily armoured bunker while manning a heavy machine gun, but, in my honest opinion, I do not find that very heroic behavior ... This concept of self-preservation was particularly difficult to grasp when I was starting out ... and this drew my attention to annoying point two: NO, NO NOT DIE BLAAAAAAAARG! x.x
Okay, at one point I found myself in a little cycle. It went something like this:
Step One: Checkpoint.
Step Two: Eternaty-Long, Unskippable cutscene.
Step Three: Giant boss of Insta-Death-Rape starting out two feet away.
Repeat.

If you don't understand ... visualise how it must of felt to play this ...

Oh ... your ... god. It is a rare experience for a gamer to think "why am I playing this?" This was one of those times.
When you compound this (rather common) "make-it-STOP!" cycle with the second issue, you get a rather irratating game. The other issue? Well, in GoW you have teammates, who, when reduced to zero health (and, trust me, they WILL be reduced to zero health ... when they're SUPPOSED to be covering YOU) they lie on the ground screaming for help, and, you, being the combined point-man/meat-shield/cannon-fodder/medic, must pull them to their feet (which, of course, you cannot do while taking cover ... because Markus is too thick to crouch and say "get up!" at the same time).
"Why is this an issue?" you rhetorically ask, literally ASKING for me to slap you around the ears. Well, it's a issue because, when the same fate befalls you, you are DEAD. Full stop. Your retarded teammates who'll just run toward the enemy gun enplacements get infinite chances, while you suffer a heart attack if a Locust looks at you angrily.
Combine this with Unskippable pre-fight cutscenes, and you get the kind of game that makes me want to HURT YOU.

I'm still playing it, though ... partly to see what all the fuss is about ... partly because I like to see what my maximum blood-pressue level is.

Chewing on his new X-Box headset,
Rude Rabbit

Eyebrow Dandruff ...?

It's CHRIIIIIIIIISTMAAAAAAAAS!!! and what a delightful time of year it is! Soon, I am off to have lunch/dinner with the family (and what a wonderful family they are) but, before that, I thought I'd better say a few somethings.

I've just come back from staying at my good friend Wrince's house for a week, which was a lot of fun, and saw one of my oldest friends, Tom, and these visits got me thinking ... it's funny how old friends are. No matter how much time has passed between you and no matter how different you have become, you can just pick up where you left off.
It's wonderful to have people in your life that you can get such unconditional love from, and I urge you, this Christmas season, to give any and all such friends a big old hug, just to show them how great they are.

Quick Updates:
1) I love cheese straws ... truely the taste of Christmas.
2) It turns out I like Oranges, which is funny, because, somehow, I'd convinced myself that they were disgusting.
3) My Dungeons and Dragons Core Rulebooks arrived, which, at first, were very exciting, but, I have yet to figure out an easy way to set up a Dungeon Map ... which is annoying, as I NEED to if I want to play. -.-
4) Been reading "Rise of the Orge," the semi-fictional account of Gorillaz rise to prominance. Never thought I'd enjoy a book about music. Glad to be proven wrong.
5) Minecraft is actually kinda fun, if you can get over the starting-out hump.

Have a very, very, very fun Christmas, filled with joy and laughter and awesome.
Yours Falsely,
R. Rabbit

INFURIATION!

Now, I hate to turn things all political here on the Blog with no name, but I am INFURIATED by today's (02/12/10 for posterity) Question Time, specifically by the Liberal Democrat panelist and his responces to questions posed in regards to the raised Tuition Fees. I was so royally pissed, I drew this. While the finances of the government and the raised fees are a travesty in of themselves ... what frustated me (read frustrated me as "MADE SO PISSED OFF THAT I WANTED TO GO INTO THE FUTURE AND EAT MY OWN UNBORN CHILDREN") is that this Lib Dem MP was upholding the policies of the Tories!!!
Now, don't get me wrong, they are together in a government, and, to an extent, they need to work together ...
... but, the Liberal Democrat PMs were elected by Students and those that support the Lib Dems' agreed pro education policies ... by offering their behinds to the Conservatives, they have completely betrayed their constituents and every Student or ex-student that voted for them.

Call me naive, but in this age of New Labor and Neo Conservatives which are often hard to tell apart, I held the Lib Dems on a pedistal. They were The Other One. The party that actually stood for something ... that promiced to actually make a difference in this world.
Thanks for shattering that illusion, guys.

So, this is both a call for both the Lib Dems to grow some backbones, and a call for the parties in general (and NOT just the back-benchers) to actually stand for something.
How about a Labor Party who actually have a socialist agenda?
A Conservative Party that aim to actually lower a tax?
Or perhaps a Party of Lib Dems that aims to instigate positive change?

Just a thought.

Planning to start a coup and set up a Dictatorship with Stephen Fry as grand overlord (I mean ... c'mon. Who's better qualified!?) -
Rude Rabbit