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Our Culture is Shit: Brokencyde
By Dennis Wyman on February 19, 2010 2:21 AM | Permalink | 4 Comments
However, Brokencyde deserves more than that as an explanation of their work, as they are, in fact, a startling textbook definition of everything that is currently sickening about American culture as we know it. Brokencyde isn't one of those bands that are popular despite being absolutely terrible. Rather, they are more of a lens into the current state of society. And when you look through that lens, you begin to lose all faith you might have had in humanity. So to begin this diatribe, lets all start with the video for "40oz" as a reference point.
Continue reading Our Culture is Shit: Brokencyde.
What Is 2010? Furthermore, What Is A Year?
By Dennis Wyman on January 3, 2010 8:51 AM | Permalink | No Comments
Of the two "years" mentioned above, only one of those is scientifically real: While the definition of a calendar year only exists in our minds or on paper, the definition of an astronomical year is backed by the physically occurring event of the Earth revolving around the Sun. This is analagous to my views on how the "law" and how physics view speeding in an automobile. The law, a physically intangible idea, says not to speed or you are breaking the law. Physics, however, says not to speed or you have a greater chance of losing control of your vehicle, potentially resulting in causing the death of yourself or others.
While putting together evidence to refute the "New Year" traditionally beginning on January 1st, I composed my argument that there is physical "starting line" for where a year begins, since the only evidence for our currently accepted transition point of January 1st is, well, it's January 1st. If the year is only the duration of an orbit, then the "start" and "end" of the year is only the furthermost points of the duration. With this logic, two conclusions can be reached:
- As a measure of revolutions around the sun, a year can start or end anywhere, so long as the endpoints do not exceed or cut short the duration of the orbit.
- As a measure of time, a year can (and does) begin or end at any given moment.
However, looking to better understand the astronomical year was a complicated affair, leading me through various articles of celestial activity and human systems of measurement. Join me as I attempt to weed the physical from the non-physical!
Continue reading What Is 2010? Furthermore, What Is A Year?.
On Balloons, Hoaxes and Media Frenzies
By Dennis Wyman on October 20, 2009 4:15 PM | Permalink | No Comments
No doubt by now, you've all heard of the story of the boy trapped in a balloon that turned out to be an elaborate hoax. The reason I say "no doubt" is the 24/7 news coverage this story has gotten over the past week. As soon as the makeshift aircraft went up in the air with a boy supposedly inside it several thousand feet in the air, a media frenzy descended upon Fort Collins, Colorado, eager to capitalize on the harrowing story of a boy on the brink of death.
So everything else was literally dropped, and "Balloon Boy" had quickly become the only footage on TV as the entirety of America was glued to their sets waiting to see Balloon Boy's craft crash and get a glimpse of the child's entrails shoveled into the back of an ambulance so they'd have something to talk about at work the next day.
Needless to say, ratings skyrocketed and fed the frenzy, and with broadcasters going as far to proclaim that it could not possibly be a hoax. In fact, when the solid balloon crashed, the only possible scenario was that the boy had somehow passed through the solid walls of the balloon and fell from it and a manhunt was organized to find his pieces. Because after all, it could not possibly be a hoax, right?
Continue reading On Balloons, Hoaxes and Media Frenzies.
Keith Olbermann and the Health Care Debate
By Dennis Wyman on October 8, 2009 2:30 AM | Permalink | 3 Comments
Now, it's probably good for the readers who don't know me to be aware of the fact that I absolutely despise political banter... especially anything that involves the "Big Three" of news channels. (Fox, CNN and MSNBC) Even more so, I absolutely loathe Keith Olbermann, whose paranoid tirades against the "other party" rival that of Glenn Beck.
But last night's show displayed a more human side of Olbermann, who rallied against the "health insurance cartel." For the first time I've seen on mainstream political television, somebody has finally come out to plead with the public that reforming our broken health care system isn't a political issue, but a human issue... a human issue about the value of human life before the supposed "priorities" of money.
Say what you will about how the health care system should be reformed, if at all. However, there is no denying that there is a serious problem in this country when people are dying because they cannot afford to pay for health care in order to prolong their life... a issue that the rich elite in this country never have to worry about. And Olbermann straight up admits that he can afford proper health care for his ailing father, and Olbermann also straight up admits that he knows that vast majority of this country isn't as lucky as he is. This is a kind of empathetic honesty that is rarely seen nowadays, and I give Olbermann a lot of credit for that.
The point where I disagree with Olbermann is the point of hope for fixing the current situation. He eventually goes on to talk about how to begin in fixing the system. The reality is we are all fucked. This country is putting its faith in health care reform on a league of politicians that were all bought out long ago. I guarantee you that any "reform" bill that happens to be passed will do nothing to address the problem, because the wealthy business owners that run this country do not want that to happen.
The first step to "fixing the problem" is not to put the solution in the hands of the people that put the dollar and their wealthy lifestyles before the lives of the people that "elected" them into office through fixed elections.
It's called futility to keep trying this way. It's futility to expect a corrupt system to regulate itself.
Hopefully, when the middle and lower class are shafted by the system once more when "health care reform" never happens on a meaningful scale, will people be outraged enough to finally do something.
Anyways, check out a video of Olbermann's rant after the jump.
Continue reading Keith Olbermann and the Health Care Debate.
Dear America: Please Shut Up About Swine Flu Already
By Dennis Wyman on September 23, 2009 6:27 PM | Permalink | 2 Comments
Still freaking out about swine flu.
Freaking out about the same thing we get every year, only this time it is prefixed with "swine" and I guess that somehow makes it worse despite being no more deadly or virulent than regular flu.
Because it IS regular flu. It's THE FLU. It's THE GODDAMN FLU. IT COMES AROUND LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME.
Anyways, enough caps lock. The Minnesota Daily has an excellent editorial up, H1N1: A Case of Manufactured Panic Attack. And for those of you who missed it, Maddox put up a swine flu article of his own on The Best Page In The Universe. Both are worth checking out.
Continue reading Dear America: Please Shut Up About Swine Flu Already.
Dear America: Please Shut Up About Kanye West Already
By Dennis Wyman on September 15, 2009 3:47 AM | Permalink | 2 Comments
What are we bitching about now? I guess he took the microphone from some whore during the MTV Video Music Awards (commonly referred to as the "VMAs" in the industry) during her acceptance speech after recieving her award or something. Yeah, that's pretty much it.
Granted, I hate Kanye West as much as the next angry blogger on the internet. The man has made his career off of being an asshole and attention whore, especially when it comes to the VMAs. This is the same man who was bitching and whining on-stage a few years ago that he didn't win a VMA. Keep in mind these awards are from MTV, whose movie awards a few months ago were swept by Twilight and High School Musical 3, which should immediately say something about how credible MTV's opinion about anything is.
So why do we care? What makes this relevant to our daily lives? Or is this simply another display of our society's infatuation with celebrity culture?
Oh wait, duh.
Continue reading Dear America: Please Shut Up About Kanye West Already.
Quit Waiting For A Revolution
By Dennis Wyman on August 18, 2009 3:54 AM | Permalink | No Comments
This one word pretty much defines the state of Western society, and it is one that most of you are likely guilty of as well. Pure inaction. There are not a whole lot of people out there willing to stand up for what they believe in, or live the words they preach to others. It has always been human nature to retreat to familiar safe surroundings, both in the physical realm and in terms of ideals. Do you want to know why there are so few radicals? Because everybody is too afraid to rock the boat or challenge their own worldview.
I know to some I will be preaching the obvious, but I hope this may serve as a wake-up call to others. Specifically, this little rant is for the people who already have started to think for themselves, but just are not really doing anything.
Continue reading Quit Waiting For A Revolution.
Can You Put A Price On The Life Of A Child?
By Dennis Wyman on August 17, 2009 6:44 PM | Permalink | 2 Comments
Naturally, this figure of worth is not related to how much your child's body parts could be worth to organ farmers on the black market, but that's another report for another time. Nor is it related to how much you can sell your newborn for on Craigslist.
Lemondrop brings up an interesting question: What more awesome things could you do with $219,000 other than raising a brat? We turned to our forums, chat room and AIM buddy lists and came up with some answers of our own, after the jump.
Continue reading Can You Put A Price On The Life Of A Child?.
Things To Keep in Mind When You're Driving
By Dennis Wyman on May 14, 2009 7:08 PM | Permalink | 2 Comments
What does driving have to do with video games? Beats the hell out of me, but as a lot of you are either 1) just starting to drive or 2) going to be driving soon or possibly even 3) long time drivers, I have compiled a list of useful tips to keep in mind.
Continue reading Things To Keep in Mind When You're Driving.
Ocarina of Time: Ten Years Later
By Dennis Wyman on November 21, 2008 12:06 AM | Permalink | 5 Comments
Has it been ten years already? On November 21, 1998, (23rd for us Americans) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world, reviving the treasured series
for the first time since the 16-bit era and bringing one of gaming's
favorite heroes to the third dimension. And while everybody back then
knew Ocarina of Time would be good, did anybody expect it to become one of the greatest classics in the history of video games?Continue reading Ocarina of Time: Ten Years Later.
10 Terms Created by the Tech and Gaming Community That Piss Me Off
By Dennis Wyman on August 2, 2006 10:30 PM | Permalink | No Comments
You know them. And you may be using them. Or you fear them, and scorn their usage. However, one thing is for certain: Nobody is safe from them.
There are some very bad words out there, and they may be in your vocabulary. Below, you will find the worst-of-the-worst. There is no forgivable enemy on these pages. Make sure these words stay out of your vocabulary!
Continue reading 10 Terms Created by the Tech and Gaming Community That Piss Me Off.
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Recent Entries
- Our Culture is Shit: Brokencyde
- What Is 2010? Furthermore, What Is A Year?
- On Balloons, Hoaxes and Media Frenzies
- Keith Olbermann and the Health Care Debate
- Dear America: Please Shut Up About Swine Flu Already
- Dear America: Please Shut Up About Kanye West Already
- Quit Waiting For A Revolution
- Can You Put A Price On The Life Of A Child?
- Things To Keep in Mind When You're Driving
- Ocarina of Time: Ten Years Later