News and Olds

[vovat]

Prejean and Postjean - I've written a few tweets on the Miss California debacle, but I figured it was too late for an entire post about it to be relevant. After all, she didn't win, and would presumably have been disqualified if she had. But that's before I heard Sean Hannity interviewing her last night, saying that she was a hero to a lot of conservatives. Really? They must be hard pressed for heroes if their choice is a beauty pageant contestant who can't string together a simple sentence. From the convoluted way she phrased her answer, I'm not sure how anyone could even tell she WAS being bigoted. Her answer was, "Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there, but that's how I was raised, and that's how I think it should be between a man and a woman." If she thinks gay marriage should be illegal, then how would the United States be "a land where you can choose"? And the "in my family" almost seems like she's saying it's okay to be gay as long as you're not related to her, which is a disturbingly common opinion. Hannity praised her for giving an answer that wasn't politically correct, but I think he has that totally backwards. As stupidly phrased as her answer was, the sentiment is basically the same as what you hear from most politicians who aren't either self-admitted fundamentalists or liberals painted by their colleagues and the media as too radical. How many times have you heard something like, "I favor civil unions, but not gay marriage"? Somehow, fundamentalist Christians have managed to convince the political establishment that they (the fundamentalists) have a trademark on the word "marriage." I think things are slowly changing for the better, but for the time being, Prejean's answer essentially IS the safe one. I think there really isn't anything left to do with this story than to wait until Miss Prejean has her first lesbian affair, but I'll admit that the notion of "opposite marriage" sparks my sense of whimsy, as does the name "Prejean."

Shipshape and Bristol Fashion - So, first I heard that Bristol Palin came out as saying abstinence-only education doesn't work, and now I hear that she's become a spokesperson for it? Can anyone explain this to me? Considering that it has to do with the Palin family, probably not. I'm sure it will do wonders for little Tripp's self-esteem to be used as a negative example. Apparently he's a blessing, but she would have preferred having him at a different time. Sorry, but I don't think that's how reproduction works.

Persian Cowboy vs. Schizo Redneck - Okay, so I think this story really IS yesterday's news, but I didn't get a chance to watch Jian Ghomeshi interview Billy Bob Thornton until fairly recently. It's kind of sad that this is the first time I've heard of Jian doing anything in years, and he's just the straight man for a guy who pretends to be a schizophrenic because his ego isn't being properly stroked. Come on, the guy dated Angelina Jolie, so he's pretty much guaranteed to have some screws loose, right? The thing is, I'm actually in favor of nonsensical interviews, but I prefer it when someone acts whimsical out of a sense of fun, rather than because they're a self-absorbed jerk.

Simulated Obsolescence - While the official release date isn't until the beginning of next month, I've heard that at least one store is now stocking The Sims 3. I've actually had a desire to play The Sims 2 again, but I'm not, because I know it's more of a time devourer than the main enemy in Chrono Cross. But now I almost feel like I'd be playing an obsolete game if I DID get back into it. I guess I'm letting the power of advertising get to me, aren't I? But anyway, it kind of bothers me that The Sims 2 basically supplanted the first Sims, because it was an improved version of the same game, and the fact that you couldn't transfer Sims over meant that all the time you spent on the first game essentially came to naught. And I assume it's going to be the same way with The Sims 3, right?

Comments

[yosef.livejournal.com]

I'm still unsure if I should choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. I mean, I'm glad the option for both is there, but I'm just so indecisive!

Really though, I didn't even realize Miss USA was an actual thing until all this stuff happened. I supposed it'll be good for ratings, but I wonder if anyone will even care a year from now when it's on TV again.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I'd recommend opposite marriage. Opposites attract, after all!

Really though, I didn't even realize Miss USA was an actual thing until all this stuff happened.

I'd heard of Miss USA, but could never really determine how it was any different from Miss America. Why are there TWO beauty pageants with one contestant from each state?

[bethje.livejournal.com]

The difference is that Miss USA belongs to Donald Trump, and he can call all the shots he likes. Example: If it's been discovered that the winner posed for nude photos, she isn't automatically disqualified. He can choose to let it go.

Crazy to say, but Miss America might be a classier competition.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Great, a beauty pageant run by a guy who's hot for his own daughter.

[revme.livejournal.com]

Yeah -- the Jian/BBT interview was awkward. I just read the transcript, but yeah. And, um, seriously -- as an Americana/Alt-Country Radio Programmer? Billy Bob, as a songwriter and singer..... is a great actor. Jeeeeez.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I get the impression he's one of those people who thinks that, since they're famous for one career in the arts, they'll automatically be taken seriously in any other.

[revme.livejournal.com]

And he DID have Dwight Yoakam in one of his movies! That means he can be a country music star too, right?

[nova-one.livejournal.com]

I've actually had a desire to play The Sims 2 again, but I'm not, because I know it's more of a time devourer than the main enemy in Chrono Cross.

Nice one. Not only is the enemy named "Time Devourer," but it's an incredibly tedious, boring and stupid fight (the fight accessed from the beach anyway - the first encounter at the top of Terra Tower is actually pretty rockin'). I played Chrono Cross again recently, and I was like "Hello, challenge PLS?"

Hard to top the penultimate Sepiroth encounter in Final Fantasy VII! Unfortunately, the way I play the game, he's not much of a challenge either, and falls within a few rounds. Too bad he can't have his HP quintupled and his speed doubled, and maybe an auto-regen of 5000HP a round, and a few instant-death attacks - THEN we'd have a final boss!

[vilajunkie.livejournal.com]

THEN we'd have a final boss!

More like a boss that you need to fight in order to get the final legendary weapon, AND once you defeat the boss, the legendary weapon is absolutely useless to own.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Well, unless there's a New Game + mode.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Not only is the enemy named "Time Devourer," but it's an incredibly tedious, boring and stupid fight (the fight accessed from the beach anyway - the first encounter at the top of Terra Tower is actually pretty rockin').

Hey, they warned you about that in its name! :P I've never actually fought the Time Devourer, as I never managed to get out of Fort Draconia alive.

Doesn't Sephiroth go down pretty easily if you have the Knights of the Round Table summon?

[nova-one.livejournal.com]

Virtually everything does. And in fact that's kind of the problem - it ruins the challenge at endgame. Assuming a high "magic" stat (be it obtained transiently via Magic Plus materia or permanently via consumption of Magic Source items), Knights of the Round can do 129,987 points of damage. Even at low levels it might still do 60,000+ damage. Adding to the insanity, it can also be Mimic-ed and/or W-Summon-ed. Outside of the superbosses, there really isn't anything in the game that can stand up to a dual-summoned, subsequently mimed Knights of the Round. There are only a handful of enemies that can stand up to a single casting.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

But you have to have a Gold Chocobo to get the summon, right?

[nova-one.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but even that's a cinch to get if you know what you're doing. You can breed up to a mountain-river chocobo without even racing. With Tifa still leading the party I had Mime, Quadra Magic, and HP<->MP Switch. (I haven't found a use for that last one.) Once you get cloud back, you can cheat hard at the races, get the parents into shape, and get that sea chocobo in no time.

[vilajunkie.livejournal.com]

Despite Miss USA's comment, which my mom would mostly agree with, my mom would actually refuse to watch any discussion of her comment because gasp! it mentions gay people as real people, and not mythical or extinct through sheer stupidity on the species' part, like the dodo.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I've never understood why some people think the mere existence of gay people is somehow threatening. Do they think they're going to infect everyone else, like vampires or Borg?

[bethje.livejournal.com]

She thinks that? Should I have a talk with her?

[suegypt.livejournal.com]

Bristol Palin came out as saying abstinence-only education doesn't work, and now I hear that she's become a spokesperson for it?

I'm not 100% sure, but I think she was crusading against teen pregnancy, not crusading for abstinence-only.

But yeah, if she thinks she could have waited to have little Tripp, she doesn't know that that was the one-and-only-egg that would make him. Not to mention the sperm wouldn't be the same 5 years from now. He'd be uh baby, just not Tripp.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

He might still have been NAMED Tripp, but he wouldn't have been the same person. Especially since she probably would have had a different boyfriend by that point.

[suegypt.livejournal.com]

Exactly