Facebook and Warcraft

Posted by Eric in Facebook, Internet, World of Warcraft on February 10, 2010

If you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably seen all the latest changes to the layout.  Why did it change?  What was so wrong with the way things were? Frankly, it has annoyed me beyond my usual annoyance level with Facebook.  I have kept my account open and active, simply so I can communicate with family and friends that I hardly get to see.

Facebook games – like Mafia Wars, Farmville, Farkle, and such – are a big reason a lot of people are on there.  I simply don’t like them.  I am further annoyed by all the “requests” that are sent to me by my contacts – even though I don’t play the games.  I’ve had enough of it.

From now on, if you send me a game request in Facebook, it’s getting ignored.  I don’t play Mafia Wars.  I don’t play Farmville.  I don’t play Yoville.  I don’t play Farkle (anymore).  The only reason I’m on Facebook is so I can communicate with those I don’t see day to day.  If you don’t want to do that, that’s fine.  Just leave me alone with the game requests, please, and thank you!

Upcoming Posts

I have decided to fold other topics into this blog besides politics.  Frankly, I’m sick of politics and all the goings on in our nation’s capital.  I still try to keep up with the latest news, but it just continues to sicken me how corrupt our whole system is.  The bureaucrats on both sides just make my blood boil.  As each day passes, I wish we could just fire them all and start fresh.  After all, they do work for us, right?

If you’ve visited in the last couple of days, you’ll see that I added a “widget” to my sidebar, showing my character armory from World of Warcraft.  Now, that game is my addiction.  It’s pretty much what I do when I get home from work (if “Lost” or “24″ is not on, that is).  I guess that’s what I do instead of playing those annoying Facebook games.  And that is one topic I plan on blogging more about here.

Why do I play?

You’re probably wondering why on Earth I would play such a game.  What makes it so addictive and fun?  Well, I think for me it’s the “solving puzzles” aspect of the game.  There are quests you can do in the game, as well as what’s called “instances” or “dungeons”, where you and four other people go in and defeat “bosses” (just think Mario or Zelda here).  There’s also larger dungeons, called “raids”, where you can get with nine or twenty-four other people and go in to defeat even more difficult “bosses”.

In order to beat these bosses, you have to follow a certain strategy or solve a certain puzzle.  It takes coordination, planning, and teamwork.  And it’s fun!  I think that is the biggest draw for me to the game.

The big “raid” right now is called Icecrown Citadel, which is the home of the Lich King.  For all you “Lord of the Rings” fans out there, think Sauron and Mordor and you pretty much have what the citadel looks like.  I’m also a big computer graphics nerd, so going in and seeing the architecture of this place is just amazing.  The onyx-looking stone that comprises the floor and walls, the gothic design of the archways and walkways in the citadel, and the airship battle midway through the Lower Spire are just some of the awe-inspiring sights of this game.  I guess I also love the lore and story behind it:  I’m a HUGE Tolkien fan and this is pretty much like marching to the Black Gate to face Sauron and his orcs.

Only in WoW, you’re facing the Lich King and his Scourge – the undead minions.  Instead of watching it unfold on the big screen or seeing it unfold in your mind, you’re helping things along and interacting with some of the major characters in the story.  It’s you and your friends who are the heroes in this epic battle.

So that’s why I play.

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Hundreds Protest Global Warming

Posted by Eric in Global Warming, Humor on December 15, 2009

hundredsgather

Found this on the ‘net…I think it’s been widely shared by now! :D

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Teamster Strike Blocks Blood Delivery

Posted by Eric in Health and Fitness, Politics on December 15, 2009

The American Red Cross in Philadelphia, PA, is accusing a local union, Teamsters Local 929, of blocking a blood delivery to a two-year-old girl, whose life depended on the blood delivery.  According to the article, the union members refused to move until they were told about the girl.  As a result the Red Cross got an injunction against the union so they would stop interfering with blood deliveries to hospitals.  The union went on strike December 3 after a failure to negotiate a new contract.

The reason for the strike?  According to the union, unfair labor practices and pay.  But, according to the Red Cross, there have been no unsafe labor practice complaints by the Teamsters Union. The court that awarded the injunction agreed with the Red Cross. 

The Red Cross is struggling, like other organizatios, through the economic slump.  As a result,  non-union workers are under a pay freeze until June 30, 2010.  This has been a major contention during the contract negotiation, and the union refuses to agree to a pay freeze.

“We are simply asking union employees to make the same sacrifices that their non-union colleagues have already made,” said Anthony Tornetta, Communications Manager for the Red Cross Penn-Jersey Blood Region. “Their refusal to do so remains a significant issue in these negotiations.”

The union workers are covered both by the International Brotherhood of  Teamsters and the SEIU, and being encouraged to strike by the organization Change to Win.  Their mantra?  They will not stop “until every man, woman and child has quality, affordable care they can count on“.

Change you can believe in.

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The Defense of our Nation

Posted by Eric in 9/11, Politics on December 14, 2009

In the defense of our nation, a president must be a clear-eyed realist. There are limits to the smiles and scowls of diplomacy. Armies and missiles are not stopped by stiff notes of condemnation. They are held in check by strength and purpose and the promise of swift punishment.

George W. Bush

Unfortunately, I don’t think our current president realizes this.  He is neither clear-eyed, nor a realist.  He continues to use diplomacy as though it’s the be-all, end-all of all arguments.  He wants to reduce our nuclear deterrent, while other nations strive to increase theirs.  He wants to essentially cut our defense appropriations.  He is consistently weakening us, and he has obfuscated our purpose as a nation – not only in foreign policy, but in domestic issues as well.

We The People need to wake up and realize what is happening to our country.  Every day we see the vitriol and hatred increase, not only from the left, but from the fringes of the political right also.   And now it seems as though the fringe left and fringe right are turning on themselves as well.  What will it take for this country to come together, as we did after 9/11?  Will it take another terrorist attack, or will it take something worse (i.e., revolution)?  I pray to God not.

I just continue to see the moral decline of this country, and it saddens me.  This is not the country I remember from my childhood, and it’s certainly not the one from September 2001.  We were united.  We all suffered – even those of us who didn’t have any immediate family or friends to die in the terrible attacks of that day.  I saw a patriotism and a love for God and country like I had never seen before.  What happened?

If things do not improve soon, I truly see a revolution or civil outburst happening soon – certainly not as widespread and devastating as our Civil War, but still dramatic in its own right.  We’ve already seen what happens when people are upset with tuition increases.  What do you think will happen when the people of this country finally get tired of the continuous “tax and spend” coming from Washington?  I foresee it being far, far worse.

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Copenhagen negotiations ’suspended’

Posted by Eric in Science on December 14, 2009

Looks like all the developing countries have ganged up on the developed countries in Copenhagen:

Negotiations at the UN climate summit have been suspended after developing countries withdrew their co-operation.

Delegations were angry at what they saw as moves by the Danish host government to sideline talks on more emission cuts under the Kyoto Protocol.

While it’s not exactly what I was hoping would de-rail the summit, at least something is stopping – at least temporarily – the insanity that is global warming talks.  Apparently the Danish government drafted some papers that are actually benefiting the developed countries over the developing.

I hope the disagreements and dysfunction at the “summit” continue.  We do not need to enter into a meaningless agreement that will end up taking more of our sovereignty away and giving it to the U.N.  If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about, go watch this.

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