23.2.09

Mixed bag

Hello poppets. Sorry about the funk I - and this blog - have been in, in the recent past. Too much thinking, too many distractions, too much lethargy, and not enough good health. But never fear, a little outing has done wonders, and I'm back, on track, without crack...and whatever else rhymes with that.

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First up, there's this brilliant cycling trip for charity that I only just read about, and am really, seriously, properly considering training for. Sure, it's a lot of money to raise, and it's a fair amount of cycling, plus there'll be jhanjhat about leave and visas and whoknowswhatelse. But hello, if nothing else, just imagine the scenery.

So who's with me? TR? Szer?

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I meant to blog about this a week ago, but better late yada yada.

You remember this stupid fuckawful concept of a 'game'? Well, somebody decided to give it a serious run for their money. Apparently, simulating rape is now something that some people consider a viable subject for PC games. No, seriously.

Now, the risk of giving publicity to things like this is that it might just bring it to the attention of some deluded creep who actually decides they like it. So why blog about it? Because -
a) It's you guys. You're good and all. Model citizens. No worries there.
b) It's on Amazon. So now open/free-market = 'pander to criminal tastes'? If you're the crusading type, you might want to complain to Amazon and see what they have to say. Or whip up a campaign to force the company to improve their filtering options.

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I'm forecasting a ton of posts/articles about how SM shouldn't have won the way it did, and how it will only reinforce the stereotypes about India, and how it's a travesty that it won the main film awards despite being partially in Hindi only because it was made by foreigners.

Hush.

It's not like the Oscars really go to those who always deserve it. Dances with Wolves, anyone? Please! The awards have always been about politics and statements and rewards. SM had to win, because it was a fairytale ending for a fairytale of a film. It's all unreal, all happily ever after.

And you know what? Right now, Bombay could do with this. We didn't get it for Salaam Bombay? Fine. We'll take it now, thankyouthankyou, and the more fool you for taking 20 years to realise this. And you may think it's charity, but hey, who cares, we have the award anyway. So who's the chump now?

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And lastly, two words - Bon Iver.

Ideal for workday background listening. All gratitude (and there is much of it here) to be directed towards Scout. The girl may not be blogging anymore, but her taste in music remains impeccable.

9 comments:

Tabula Rasa said...

welcome back!

hat bike trip sounds *awesome*, but you know -- thinking, lethargy, and bigtime distractions.

km said...

A rape game is bad for but an FPS is not.

Debate at 10.

Szerelem said...

cycling trip conflicts with my schedule yo!

also word re slumdog, but I also quite enjoyed the movie.

??! said...

TR:
Thank you. And I know! I need some incentive here myself.

Szer:
Dem! And me too - nice, but not great.

KM:
Ahh, except in an FPS you can target everybody.

Anonymous said...

Yaay! Good to have you back refreshed and recharged etc. Here's hoping you have better health and fewer distractions :-)
(and um... i'm really sorry to be nit-picking, but stimulating?)

Anonymous said...

I'm outraged. How the heck can anyone even think up such a disgusting 'game'?! As it is it's all the rage in Japan for people to openly buy graphic novels which graphically portray crime... the incidences of foreign girls being murdered in Japan has gone up and they do nothing but come up with this. What the HELL.

km said...

??!: except in an FPS you can target everybody.

You can target everybody, but you still kill one by one.

I am trying to understand why we are outraged by a "rape game" but not by a "murder game".

//and where's the moral outrage over Frogger and PacMan?

??! said...

Brin:
It is nice to be back. And of course it's nice to know somebody goes over the posts with such an eye for detail (changed now).

DDD:
Exactly. Pour it out.

KM:
Not 'not outraged', but at least some of those games try to come up with some justification - this orc is bad, you have to kill it to defend your country (GTA etc are taboo). But this?

//I'm still angry at how easily Mario beats up everybody.

HP said...

the only good thing about SM getting so many Oscars was Rehman getting 2. ;) mazza aya!