Zombie Protest

Zombie Protest

I'm well aware that I did my zombie post for the month. And while I'm sure I should leave well enough alone, I'm not. It's because the subject is zombies and well, you know well enough to know that I can't shut up about them.

A while back I reported on Left 4 Dead. Now since I haven't actually bought the game and just played it like any red blooded true American, in the sense of free-o-charge. Not to mention the circumstances that left me not ever having a copy (thank you connections from EA that never followed through...) I didn't give much a fuck when I heard the announcement at E3 and saw the footage and grabbed the one poster I could get of it that there was a sequel coming out called 2L4D.



Now, you would figure that this if Valve we're talking about. The makers of Half-life and all the various incantations that have spawned from it. I mean, shit, how many "game of the year" editions of the same game can you out? I guess that's why I wasn't sweating it when the before mentioned red headed wonder never bothered to get it for me. I knew that there would be a million different versions out there to buy from. A couple months after the first one there's always a new edition that has way more bells and whistles than the ones from previous before.

So it should come to no surprise to anyone that Valve is putting out a sequel to a popular game engine... Killing zombies. But yet again, people feel compelled to be pissed at just about anything and everything.....

Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it. Since the game was unveiled June 1 at E3, a Steam group called L4D Boycott (NO-L4D2) has assembled 9,742 members as of Saturday, and seems to be growing. Far from being enthused about a new game, they have nine complaints, most of which concern L4D2 obviating the need for, and undermining the value of, L4D1 - and just a year after the fact

• Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never delivered
• Valve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after release
• The fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both games
• The announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changes
• The new character designs seem bland and unappealing so far
• L4D2 is too bright to fit in with L4D1's visual aesthetic
• The fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked, though the differently orchestrated music is otherwise welcome
• L4D2's release will result in a drop in quality and frequency for L4D1 content, even compared to before
• The community has lost faith in Valve's former reputation for commitment to their games post-release

Don't get me wrong. If I actually did pony up the 50 bones for the game back when it came out, I may as well be pretty peeved about this whole situation. But would I have been peeved enough to create this video for my anger?



No. Even though I'm a creative guy, I'm still not THAT creative. Holy hell, that was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Bravo, good sirs. Bravo! If E3 was good for no other reason this year, it was because it spawned that sort of reaction.

Knowing me, I would have just addressed my outrage on a random internet message board. You know, the typical thing one does when they are pretty pissed at a company, a movie they've seen or just about any other reason to angst.


Fans of the series invade Valve

I guess I can't totally relate to all of these things though. I never got the whole achievement points down. I avoid playing my Xbox for that very reason. It was bad enough back in the day with High Scores. I still maintain the high score for Pac man at one laundry joint and I still get all paranoid about it being beaten. So I don't even want to get into the world of Achievement points. God damn system is worse than crack and I will not fall victim to it.

I can see where everyone is all pissed at this news. The way the game play for 2L4D and the only additions to the game being slightly minor, it does seem that they could have easily made this into downloadable content for all those who already shelled out the 50 bones the first time.



Adding in a New Orleans backdrop doesn't seem to add much, and if anything, opens the source folks to create wacky new games such as "Survive Katrina" or something else otherwise witty. I mean, will their be a topless zombie walking around with some beads? Now that, I would sell out some cash... and some beads for!

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to play this. So I can't really talk shit. I guess the best thing out of all this is that I didn't have to pay a huge price for it since I didn't bother getting the first one, which at this point looks like a Beta test version of this game since it still has so many tweaks to get worked out.



As for your folks planning on protesting this game.. Shine on, you crazy bastards! I think it's a just cause to be pissed about. You paid your hard earned cash, you should have a finished game. Especially if the content and the support was promised and never delivered on. Don't want to be a mindless zombie spending your cash on anything and everything Valve puts out

Prop 8: The Aftermath

Prop 8: The Aftermath

We finally really did it. You Maniacs! You passed prop 8! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!



I don't get you people. Yes, that's right I said YOU PEOPLE. Because I, for one, did not vote yes for prop 8. You just had to listen and read my blogs to see where I stand on this issue. It's stupid to strip a group of their civil rights that make them equal to everyone else.

A lot of people have said that Obama brought out the black voters who are to blame for the passing of prop 8. While they got civil liberties and fought for the right to be equal, they turned around and felt the need to deny others of civil liberties.


But I'm not convinced by this logic. You see the final numbers was 52.3 yes and 47.7 no, so you have a 4.6 percent split. the black vote was 10 percent of the electorate and voted 70 percent yes and 30 percent no. if you adjust the totals as if black people had voted the same, or even 50/50, you still end up with prop 8 winning by more than 2 percent.

That still doesn't excuse the fact that someone who fought for civil equality decided to deny others the very same civil equality. But it's not the only reason why it passed.



There's also the backlash. Those reap what they sow. In this case El Coyote Restaurant owner, who is a member of the LDS Mormon church is now crawling home with her tail between her legs because, get this, while they're located in West Hollywood, they were dumb enough to not only support Prop 8 but also give money to them.

I have been sick at heart that anyone has been offended by me. I have family, friends, employees from the gay community who are treasured people in my life. I have been a member of the Mormon church all my life. I responded to their request with my personal donation. For years the El Coyote has financially and generously supported the gay community and its charities.

Margie

The Salsa is spiced with hate

Of course she's going to be sorry. It's effecting her pocket book. Is there really no accountability? Just because you're a member of a church doesn't mean you need to follow them blindly. Hell, the simple fact that they are serving alcohol or even open on a Sunday means they are not following the church's teaching to the book as those two things goes against the church.

So don't give me this bullshit that you didn't realize that it would have such an effect. Again, the proposition description started with ELIMINATE RIGHTS in it. She's feeling the pinch now because she, along with others, have been outed for giving money to advertise for prop 8. I'm not spending any time feeling sorry for her suffering consequences to her actions. She could have just easily said no when the church passed around the collection plate.

And a quick follow up to this. The event happened and as you could expect, it was a train wreck which will only be followed by boycotts of the place. Why? Because while she's sorry, she's only sorry that she was outed and has no intention on supporting a NO on prop 8 side in fighting this in court. What a fucking sheep. While they have cheap margaritas out of the gun, I wont be supporting a place that takes the profits from my business there and channels it to a church that lives by a double standard.



This isn't limited to LDS and the black community. Let's toss some blame to Saddleback Church, which in itself, has a pretty gay sounding name. This Mecca for evangelicals in Southern California played its part in getting this proposition to pass.

Saddleback Church has the pastor Rick Warren who hosted a forum thing with Obama and McCain and then campaigned for prop. 8 hardcore. He also wrote this really dumb book called The Purpose Driven Life which is basically a self-help book with lots of God, that has become one of the best selling books of all time. (I was once given a copy of this by evangelicals fearful for my godless, Californian soul.) Weekly church attendance for Saddleback exceeds 23,000.

Saddleback is a prime example of megachurches at their worst. The Lord apparently likes large plasma screens.


This is the kids center...


But back onto the Mormons... those fucks. It seems that they're getting but hurt about the hate they're getting.

Others who supported Proposition 8 said they have also been targeted. Scott Purves, of Purves & Associates, a Davis insurance company, said a protester carrying a sign reading "Purves Family Supports Homophobia" picketed his business Monday.

"If this had gone the other way, I can't imagine the backlash if people protested and called the other side names," said Purves. "People would be angry and rightfully so. ... It makes me sad that this would happen when a majority of people supported this measure."

"It's disheartening that he is being singled out," said Lisa West, spokeswoman for the church in the Sacramento area. "We had hoped there would be more tolerance for different viewpoints."

"Protesting is a time-honored American tradition," said Ned Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference. Catholic leaders were active in the Yes on 8 campaign. "But it's unfortunate when it steps over into religious bigotry or harassment."

Waaaa. Waa aaa, My hateful actions have consequences! No shit, you scum. That last quote really gets to me.

"We had hoped there would be more tolerance for different viewpoints."

I wonder how long it will be, if ever, when the irony of this hits her. This shit writes itself. I'm sure the next press release will include this statement "I just wish the rest of the world would understand our point of view, that my point of view needs to be made the law so that other points of view are illegal and wrong." or something along these lines
"I just wish the rest of the world would understand our point of view, that my point of view needs to be made the law so that other points of view are illegal and wrong."



I just never wrapped my head around being against gay marriage. I mean, gay people shop for groceries and that hasn't changed grocery shopping for me. So I seriously don't think letting them get married would hurt anything either. Did I miss some sort of memo sent out amongst straight people on why exactly anyone should be against this?

I would say that we should ban Mormon marriage but if you were to try to practice it as the founder originally intended, it would be illegal as well. Then again, why do you want multiple wives?


The issue has been heating up even after the elections with protest and boycotts. I believe they're justified as it is taking human rights and tossing them out the window. While I don't believe in violent protest, it's not like the religious right is playing this with any tact. The actions of Margie from El Coyote and the video above show that there's either remorse or a strong standing by ones convictions. You can't be surprised if someone slaps your sign out of your hand if you're egging them on like the old lady did with that group.

I can't wait til the California Supreme Court takes this case on and smacks the shit out of the pro-prop 8 people. They tried to go around the Supreme Court. You don't fuckin do that. The Supreme Court is going to fuck them for that, and in a totally gay way.

When this gets overturned it will be even better than if it had been defeated in the first place. Not only will these people have accomplished nothing, but they will have bankrupted themselves in order to do so