What to do about pirates...how about upset the community and destroy your sales!!!

GG, 2k Games.

Your mega-super-would-be-blockbuster FPS release of Bioshock, one of the most revolutionary games to hit the market in years, is now tainted, and you are losing sales.

In case you hadn't heard, Bioshock, the next big shooter, released on Tuesday of this week. This game was projected to completely explode in the industry because it was an increbile game. Open story line, customizable experience, so on and so forth. Well, 2k Games has decided they'd rather not sell the game than have it pirated, because they have a nasty DRM that must be installed with the game. Now, DRM is fine if it works, but this DRM installs a rootkit into your system allowing the company that owns the DRM access to your PC at any time. So basically, yes you can install the game and play it, you just have to let SecuROM(the DRM company) have full access through a backdoor to your machine.

How do we know this is a rootkit? Primarily because almost every virus scanner in the world goes nuts when you try to install it, calling it a rootkit or trojan and trying to delete it. Needless to say, you have to fully disable almost all of your security software to install or uninstall this game. Sound fishy? I think so too. 2k is claiming that this isn't a rootkit and is just a simple DRM measure, well Steam(an online content delivery service run by Valve, creators or Half-Life) is a DRM measure and it doesn't require me deactivating my firewall/anti-virus to install games. By the way, there are many other issues involving the DRM as well. You can only install the game twice using the CD key before it forces you to buy another copy. So on and so forth...

Long story short, 2k was worried about piracy, so they made this DRM to cut down on piracy. Instead, they are alienating legit customers and Bioshock games are being returned, or never purchased. I know I was going to get the game on Tuesday when it came out, but now, I won't be purchasing this virus and backdoor hack of a software product. I also had my roommate in a frenzy about the game, he too was going purchase the game, now, he is not. That's $100 lost already, by just 1 household. Multiply that buy the thousands of copies that aren't going to be bought b/c people don't want backdoor hacks on their machines, that number is going to be significant. So, GG 2k, you've sacrificed your sales by preventing piracy. But oh wait, your precious DRM has already been cracked and there are pirated versions of Bioshock circulating the internet. One site reported that a torrent had been downloaded over 300,000 times. That's potential customers down the drain. By the way, if 300,000 copies of Bioshock were purchased, that would equate to $15,000,000 in revenue.

The thing that is the killer in all this, is that 2k could get most, if not all of their lost revenues back by simply saying, "Ok, we goofed, bye bye rootkit software." I know I'd be first in line to get Bioshock if they did that.

I own a home

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I own a house. And not like own, like, "Oh I just totally owned that house"(said in Strong Bad voice for full effect), like as in, its mine.

Well, its the banks, and they are graciously letting me live in while I pay them on a strict schedule of payments.

Anyways, props to my new rmys (roommates abreviated) Casey Ryan and Scott Nelson. They help contribute to the awesome.

If you wanna come over please do, just call first. Scott likes to walk around nekkid.

What a Year!

This past year has been one of the most eventful years I've had in my life. I've moved twice, grown up a lot, and seen some very good friends fall in love and get married.

Some notable events of the past year:

July 1st: I leave 1242 E. Sandcastle Ct.(My parents) for my first home outside of their care. 1314 S. Heartland Lane. I moved in with Brent and Brian Klontz that day. Good times were had by all.

December 1st(I think): Brent and Sari move from being "superfriends" to actually dating. Thus, I lost a friend to the cause or love.

December 17th: I turn 24...and I've still never had a date!

Q1 of '07: I am one of the top sales reps at Monster. Hard work pays off!

May 25th(ish): Brian tells me he's in love with his girlfriend, Anna and is going to propose on June 10th.

Two days after that: Brian drops serious hints that he's actually going to propose tonight, but I didn't get it. That night Brian got engaged to Anna, who is now his wife.

That next weekend, Brian tells me that they are getting married on July 3rd and that they are staying in the house. Leaving me about 3 weeks to find a house and move. (Luckily I had already started looking).

June 15th: Brent asks Sari to be his wife, she said yes. Congratulations! They are getting married on January 5th.

June 20th(ish): I make an offer on my first home. (w00t!)

June 30th: I say goodbye to my home for the past year, 1314 S. Heartland Ln, and say hello again to my parents house. (cheers)(well, not really, but its better than nothing)

July 1st: I leave with my good buddies, Scott, Casey, and David on what ended up being pretty much the best vacation I've ever been on. We went on a cruise, went to Disneyland, and hit Magic Mountain as well. It was very awesome(just like me)

So, those are some of the notable moments from this past year. Wow, what a year.

I want to say thanks to Brent and Brian for letting me share this last year in your home. I'll miss seeing you guys everyday.
Brent: I'll miss cleaning up dished from the upstairs bathroom that you left behind. I'll miss staying up really late talking to and Sari about anything and everything. I'll also miss kicking you butt at the XBOX hockey game and explaining the nuances of tanking in WoW. You have been one of my greatest friends over the years, serving together on Jr. High staff and for the last year being an awesome roommate. You've taught me so much about myself and how to be Godly. It will take more effort than it did this past year, but I'm sure we'll remain good friends. Can't wait to see you and Sari "get old and fat" together.

Brian: I'll miss popping in on you making out with your girlfriend while the credit to the movie they just watched are playing. I'll miss staying up late at night chatting about how my job is awesome and yours sucks. Then the next day chatting about how my job sucks and yours is awesome. I'll miss writing blogs about how you are a ladies man and how Brent and I were going to get you married and have two girls move in with us(That worked out well, haha). Thanks again for letting me live with you guys. I couldn't have bought better roommates off of the internet!

This past year has been great. I've changed as a person, grown up, learned more about my God, and developed as a professional as well. I look back at this past year and see how great it was, and how great this next year is going to be. New house, new roommates, new challenges, etc. Can't wait to see where I'm at next July!

Male Makeup?

Heya Folks,

Heard an interesting conversation on the radio today while driving into work. Whilst listening to the morning show on a station the DJ brought up an interesting topic that particularly annoyed him. He was reading in Forbes magazine about, you guess it, male makeup.

Now, this isn't like makeup that people use on stage or for commercials or other things. This is genuine makeup, like girls wear. Base, brow gel, eye liners, and even a male mascara were mentioned in this article that were hitting stores now. According to this article, drug stores such as Walgreens or CVS will now have a special section for male makeup. Why? Because grooming is becoming a much less "touchy" issue with Men. Men are taking better care of themselves. We smell better, look better, and are better kept than we used to be. At least according to the woman who wrote this. Apparently part of the article also included an informal survey of women who have hiring power in the workplace. In an overwhelming majority said that they would be more likely to hire a man that used some makeup to look better.

Now my issue with that, is it doesn't go both ways. If a male hiring manager hired a woman who was prettier than the rest, there would be a lawsuit, but women can hire prettier men and its just fine. Just another example of how the "loud mouth left" is spreading their propoganda. Don't get me wrong, I like women. I hope to marry one someday, but "super rights" for anyone, whether guy/gal/black/white/gay is wrong.

The DJ, being a man, found this particularly appaling. The DJ then decided that they were going to think of ways to stop this. The ideas he came up with were rather focused on vandalism, things like, knock over all the displays, camp out in the section and beat up guys who buy the makeup, or picket the isles in the drug store. They then went on to talk about other ways they could protest this. Ideas flowed, with hilarious results. What they concluded is that they are only going to bathe outside, will not wear deodorant, and will fart, lots, in protest of this activity.

What I want to get to were some of the other things that the DJ said. Some of his thoughts on the reason for this new craze of male makeup. The first thing he said was, "Divorce is too easy." I don't agree with his conclusion, but I do agree with his statement. In America, Divorce is very easy. I was just talking with a guy on my team and he was bragging to me that his divorce was only costing him $600 and that it would be over in 3 weeks.

$600 and 3 weeks!!! To undue what "God has brought together" and that "no man should tear apart." Wow. That's all I have to say. Wow.

Here's a take on divorce from someone rather important. His name is God, Jehovah Jireh, the Alpha and Omega, Elohim, perhaps you've heard of him.

Malachi 2:15-16
15Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16"For the man who hates and divorces, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."

Matthew 19:3-9
3And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." 7They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" 8He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."

Kinda strong words from the maker of the heavens and early. Sounds like a big deal. To me.

Anyways, I agree, divorce in America is way too easy. And this brings me to another thing that he said. Single moms are very proud of being single moms.

Now, I want to put a disclaimer on this next part. I respect single mom's who've either had a child out of wedlock or have been divorced who take responsibility for their kids and raise them the best they can. What I do have an issue with is the single mom that says things like, "I'm proud to be a single mom. I don't need a man to take care of my kid." That is what I have an issue with. You may not need a man to raise your kid, but your boy needs a male influence in his life. Boys need to be taught how to be men, and women cannot do this. Just as men cannot teach girls how to be women. Children need both and man and a woman raising them to turn out OK. Now, Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but that's what they are, exceptions. The other issue, and I've had a little experience with this, with there only being a mom in the boy's life is that the kid is going to turn into what is modeled. No offense, but boys raised with no father tend to be more feminine than normal boys.

Ever wonder what drives boys to wear girls clothes or want to get their ears pierced or be "metro?" I wouldn't doubt its because the kid hasn't had a dad to teach the boy how to be a boy. He's only ever seen what girls do. He doesn't know what men do, except leave their kids and children(which isn't always the case). It goes the other way too, girls without mom's tend to be more masculine. All of this gender identity crisis feeds into the gay thing as well. As boy's become more and more feminine they start to struggle with their identity and are more likely to struggle with homosexuality.

All of this leads to the last thing the DJ said, men need to step up and be men.

I agree.

Women naturally want to take charge of things, its part of their curse of sin. Part of our curse of sin is laziness.

Women only step up to lead because men don't. Let's take a pledge as men to step and lead.

Anyways, kinda a long blog about male makeup.



Which I will never wear.

Pretty much the worst band I've ever heard

So, I was listening to the radio today and this band I've never heard of comes on. "She wants Revenge" has a hit single called "Tear you Apart." I was listening to this song and if the horribly graphic sexual lyrics weren't enough to turn you off, then the utter lack of melody and any sort of intelligent musicianship would.

Literally, the entire song was played on 1 guitar string. And playing straight eigth notes the whole time. There was also a drum machine going around in the background, playing the same beat the whole song, with 0 fills. That added some musical texture...not. And then we get to the vocals, the singer has the most monotone voice you've ever heard. Absolutely no accents or even pitch variation to make the music good.

Do people actually like this crap? I went to their website and it seems that the band is made of two guys who want to defy norms and have very deranged minds(in terms of violence, sex, and government control). I would say it's amazing that an act like this exists, but hey, we live in a sinful world and these are just sinners, acting out their nature.

Anyways, if anyone ever recommends this band to you, tell them to take a hike. They are the worst band I've ever heard.

On a more positive note, I've started the search for a new home! Not that I don't love living with the Klontz brothers, they are some of my dearest friends, but I think it's time I bought a house of my own. So I'm looking around and working with a realtor and everything. Very exciting!

Anyways, ttfn, just a quick update!

Keep praying that the "hate crimes" legislation continues to go defeated!

If you aren't conviced that Islam is the religion of peace...

Here's some more ammo for you!

This is a children's TV show that is run by Hamas, a Islamic terrorist group. This is a video except from one show.

One thing that I do admire about the Muslims is how they teach their children the value set that they believe. I wish westerners would do the same thing with their children. Then our kids might believe in peace and freedom instead of communism.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/editorialist/2007/05/hamass_mickey_mouse_clone.html

Talk about propaganda...

Look's like I might be spending some time in prison...

This blog is about HR 1592. The new, "hate crimes" bill. I'm going to provide several links to stories about this bill and then post some thoughts.


Your Grandmother Could Be Next: The Hate Crimes Bills

The Massacre of the Pulpit

CWA to Feds: It’s Time to Investigate Fake "Hate Crimes" Reports

Letters To Leaders

The last one stuck on me too, b/c it was written by a Democrat(the ones who have been spear heading the gay right movement from the beginning.) Just goes to show you that they aren't all wackos. Some of them still care.

Anyways, what this legislation would do is pave the way for the thought people of movies like "1984" or other futuristic thrillers. Effectually, you could be arrested for preaching the gospel, just like the grandma in the story.

We've been saying that in our lifetime Christians in America will start to see real persecution. This is the start of it. Luckily our President has vowed to veto this particular piece of junk should it get through the senate, but it could be overridden.

As Christians in America, its time to start facing the reality, we could be headed for prison, or even the death penalty(eventually). Are we willing to go against the ruling government and proclaim the gospel and speak out against sin? Our test may be closer than we thought.