Afternoon 'Rons and 'Ettes. Your Trusty team of Gaming Morons has New Content to serve your needs!

Zakn here manning the helm!

Now that Blizzard seems to have gotten their Server situation fixed, Diablo 3 has kinda taken over. In Eve, our killboards have really slowed down, as everyone is playing D3. Only to log into Eve when Jabber "Pings" for fleets or Defensive operations. It is quite comical. Here's an example: directorbot@goonfleet.com/directorbot: Heyo, I know all of you are playing Diablo3 and Dust beta but a big brawl is kicking off -- please login for an hour to play some Eve Online

Myself, I did not receive a Dust 514 key as of yet which really doesn't matter because I don't have a PS3, but I have friends. i think.

The Steam Group is going strong. We had our largest turnout yet for Moron Tf2 night on Friday. We are going to take this week off. The Server admin isn't going to be around, and I want to get some Overtime. However, If you admin a server, and are willing to give us some time, Post about it in the Steam Group and I'll work out the details with you there. TIA

Lets go ahead and get to the content portion of this Post more...

Posted by: Gang of Gaming Morons! at 09:00 AM | Comments (72)
Post contains 1406 words, total size 9 kb.

Emmy winner Campbell Brown, former CNN host and former co-anchor at of NBC's Weekend Today, rapped President Obama for being condescending toward women.

WHEN I listen to President Obama speak to and about women, he sometimes sounds too paternalistic for my taste. In numerous appearances over the years — most recently at the Barnard graduation — he has made reference to how women are smarter than men. It’s all so tired, the kind of fake praise showered upon those one views as easy to impress. As I listen, I am always bracing for the old go-to cliché: “Behind every great man is a great woman.”

. . .

The women I know who are struggling in this economy couldn’t be further from the fictional character of Julia, presented in Mr. Obama’s Web ad, “The Life of Julia,” a silly and embarrassing caricature based on the assumption that women look to government at every meaningful phase of their lives for help.

. . .

In an effort to win them back, Mr. Obama is trying too hard. He’s employing a tone that can come across as grating and even condescending. He really ought to drop it. Most women don’t want to be patted on the head or treated as wards of the state. They simply want to be given a chance to succeed based on their talent and skills. To borrow a phrase from our president’s favorite president, Abraham Lincoln, they want “an open field and a fair chance.”

(Emphasis added.) This is a hard hit, even though Ms. Brown discloses that her husband is one of Mitt Romney's advisers. But she is a pro and has a solid reputation in Washington. She is, according to Politico, "making a wave."

She goes on to describe specific examples of skilled and educated friends and family who are having difficulty finding work. One of her friends lost her livelihood and had to move back in with her parents. Another is selling her belongings on eBay to make ends meet. Ms Brown says it is family, not government, that has helped them in this time of crisis.

This is not to say that government doesnÂ’t play a role in their lives. It does and it should. But it isnÂ’t a dominant one, and certainly not an overwhelming factor in their daily existence.

Obama doesn't care about individuals and the pain they're going through, and people are starting to figure that out. He cares only about his reelection. Even non-conservatives are realizing he's simply a devious, creepy, dishonest man--like any run-of-the-mill narcissist with their characteristic empathy deficit. That's the reason for his weird "Julia" composite character. "Julia" represents a gullible type that Obama thinks might be helpful to his campaign. For him, people are types or groups to be manipulated; they're not individuals.

More and more high profile personalities are speaking out. It's starting to look like an Abilene paradox is breaking down, and we're at the beginning of a full-blown preference cascade, described by Glenn Reynolds here:

This works until something breaks the spell, and the discontented realize that their feelings are widely shared, at which point the collapse of the regime may seem very sudden to outside observers - or even to the citizens themselves. Claims after the fact that many people who seemed like loyal apparatchiks really loathed the regime are often self-serving, of course. But they're also often true . . . .

(Emphasis added.) If it starts to look like Obama is likely to lose, the left will turn on him fast. He lied to them, and they're not happy. It'll be the president's problem or the messaging or the packaging, not the philosophy. They will turn on him to preserve their worldview.

Follow me on Twitter.

Posted by: rdbrewer at 08:29 AM | Comments (157)
Post contains 637 words, total size 4 kb.

Good morning, morons and moronettes, it's time once again for the wildly popular Sunday Morning AoSHQ Book Thread.

Here is one corner of the Elizabeth Warren Geneological Research Institute:

Heh. I just wonder when goofing on this topic is going to get old. So far, there's no indication.

From the AosHQ Book Thread Mailbag

Moron Steve Poling writes and asks me to mention a story that he published, which I will gladly do because it sounds interesting. He says "I have penned a story entitled 'The Aristotelian' that can be purchased for the Kindle or Nook".

It's a locked room murder mystery and here's a snippet from the blurb: "Cambridge mathematician Mycroft Holmes, must reason with his teenage brother, Sherlock, who has fallen in with unsavory characters and taken to strange activities. Their father, a distracted intellectual, is less distressed by Sherlock’s cocaine use than his single-minded pursuit of “particulars,” putting him at risk of becoming an Aristotelian."

Oh, my. That would be bad.

'The Aristotelian' sells for 99 cents, so how can you wrong? Plus, the Amazon reviews, all 10 of them, are highly positive, and I can attest that only 4 of them were sockpuppeted by the author.

I keed, I keed. Seriously, it's going on my stack. more...

Posted by: Open Blogger at 06:51 AM | Comments (100)
Post contains 406 words, total size 3 kb.

Went to a Scott Brown fundraiser last night. He had some really good lines on the "war on women" meme, given that he has two daughters and a wife (who was there as well).

If I'd have had a feather headdress, I'd have worn it.

Posted by: andy at 03:27 AM | Comments (201)
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Silver Star for the outstanding job Tech. Sgt. Tavis Delaney did in Afghanistan.

“They owned the high ground,” Delaney told Air Force Times last year. “They had fire superiority. They had hundreds of people. And we killed almost all of them and didn’t lose a single American in seven hours of battle. It was seven hours of full-blown, slugfest, back-and-forth, rounds-smacking-right-over-your-head battle.”

The Taliban had been waiting to attack, but the constant onslaught of air power called in by Delaney and McCaffrey pushed them back and protected the Americans and Afghans. Air assets used were F-16s, F-15Es, AC-130s, two Navy F/A-18s, AH-64 Apaches and OH-58 Kiowas, with the help of an MC-12 Liberty surveillance plane to coordinate the battle.

“It was one of the most awesome, awe-inspiring and intimidating sights I’ve ever seen,” Delaney said of watching the special operations AC-130s track down the rest of the Taliban.

Posted by: CDR M at 05:59 PM | Comments (669)
Post contains 459 words, total size 5 kb.

Good evening fellow chess nerds, it's time once again for the Saturday Nite AoSHQ Chess Thread.

Annotate Like A Moron

I dug this out from an old copy of Chess Chow. Is Chess Chow even still around anymore? I think not. Anyway, Chess Chow was IM Joel Benjamin's chess periodical from the early 90s, and my impression is that it was mainly an East Coast thing. Tt had a regular column called "Chess Agony" written by GM Michael Wilder, who was U.S Champion in the 80s and is now practicing law somewhere. Wilder knew how to bring teh funneh. What follows is a game he supposedy played against GM Bent Larsen, who destroyed him, and Wilder's comments are priceless. This was posted on the rec.games.chess newsgroup some years ago, so I doubt I'm violating any copyright laws by re-posting it here.

Wilder:

Having said all that, here is my game with Bent Larsen (Watson Farley Williams, London, 1989). Though I did lose horribly in 16 moves, I maintain to this day that I played a great game. Indeed the opening I chose is of theoretical significance. {That is, it is of no actual significance; theoretically, it could have been significant, had I chosen a better opening.}

To counter the inevitable trepidation one feels when facing the venerable "Great Dane," I seized the psychological initiative by calling him "Kent" instead of Bent when I sat down to play (though "Bent" is silly enough). In the past, I had employed the disrepect-through mistaken-pronunciation motif with mixed results (e.g., while IM Jay Whitehead was thrown off when I called him "Butthead," Korchnoi seemed unconcerned when addressed as "Mr. Karpov").

Privately I was overconfident, and even told my friend Hodgson that "I can beat this guy blindfolded." Hodgson pointed out that Larsen probably would not be playing blindfolded. I thought it over and said "OK, but maybe I can still beat him."

Bent Larsen-Michael Wilder
London (Watson Farley Williams), 1989 Slav

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6

Already I could feel some tingle in my "special spots."

3.Nc3

I had a number of problems with my openings in this tournament, and looking back on it, it is clear where I went wrong in my preparation (which I later dubbed "Preparation H"). Before the tournament, Malcolm Pein told me that his ChessBase computer program would do "half your work for you," I said "Fine, I'll take two of them." But in the end, I spent the money instead on a couple of books by Eric Schiller and some new underwear.

Unfortunately, Schiller had overlooked 3.Nc3 in his otherwise comprehensive analysis of the position, so I had to wing it.

3... d5 4.d4 c6

[Editor: This is the only time I can recall Mike essaying the Slav Defense.]

5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bb3

Larsen crossed up my plans with this innocuous move. I thought to myself, "Turds, foiled again" (No, I was not envisioning turds wrapped in foil-- it's just an expression). I started to panic upon remembering that Larsen had once won a brilliant game against Tal in the same line. I regained my composure after recollecting another encounter with Larsen, over a dinner table at Lone Pine many years ago.

This is a true story: An impressionable youngster who was thrilled at the chance to hobnob with a then world-famous Grandmaster, I was astonished when Larsen, an apparently erudite and cultured man who speaks many languages, devoured a large piece of cheesecake in under five seconds. When his dessert arrived, he went into a frenzy, lowering his mouth to plate-level and then methodically shoveling the cheesecake into his face, never looking up, all the while making Homer Simpson-like grunting and belching noises. Everyone at the table just stared at him, and when his head emerged and the cheesecake was gone, we all noticed that he had crumbs on his chin and little bits of cheesy smear around his mouth. Though I took great comfort from this memory, I still did not know what to do.

8...Bb7?

8...b4 was correct.

9.O-O a6?

9...b4 should still have been tried.

10.e4 c5?

Black can only hope to minimize his disadvantage with 10...b4 11.e5 bxc3 12.exf6 Nxf6.

11.e5 cxd4 12.Qxd4

With this recapture Larsen was saying to me, in effect, "you'll eat my shorts and like it." I had not yet made my 12th move and already it was time for a little "stragedy." [Ed. note: In this case, Mike is not referring to pinball]

My first idea was to try to gross out my opponent, perhaps by showing him Odendahl; unfortunately, Steve was back in the U.S. Then I thought of Yasser Seirawan's "Flash Tactics," and briefly considered exposing myself to the Great Dane. But no. Too tasteless even for me (admittedly, it was a close call). Finally, in a conciliatory mood, I reached across the board, mussed his hair with both hands and said, "Ah Kent, ya big knucklehead."

Although Mr. Larsen has been portrayed in a negative light so far, I must confess that he impressed me at this stage with his class and professionalism. He simply ignored me completely, remaining unperturbed and totally focused on the game. At one point he even smiled a bit, as he slowly, imperceptibly maneuvered his king bishop to a post where it could then be thrust directly into my left eyeball. The result was one detached retina and a number of chuckling spectators!

12...Bc5 13.Qf4 b4 14.exf6 bxc3 15.fxg7

Note to readers: "Grandmaster-vision" is temporarily down, but as a special service to Chess Chowheads, "Larry Christiansen-vision" (by which Larry's actual thoughts as the game occurred have been transcribed verbatim) is available for this move only: "Let's see. Black will probably move his rook so that it won't be captured, after which there should be a long series of captures and attacking moves leading to mate, or at least...say, what's that smell? And why do I feel so warm and special all of the sudden? Why, I think...yes it has to be... I must have accidentally dropped an entire smoldering ashtray down the front of my trousers around move nine."

15...Rg8 16.Ba4 Rxg7

Gegenspiel?

Just when everything seemed hopeless, when it looked like the fiery walls of my position would consume my very soul, I noticed that black was developing some real counterplay along the g-file. I could see my pompous opponent thinking for the first time, as it slowly dawned on him that defending his kingside would permit certain counterchances in other areas of the board. Call it a sixth sense, but I could feel the tide was turning!

Suddenly, ...Black resigns.

1-0

Oh well.

Ed. Note: Perhaps a little bit of explanation is in order. After his initial euphoria, Mike realized that almost any continuation ( 17.Rd1 Bd5 18.bxc3 for example) leaves him hopelessly mangled. Even Mike can take only so much agony, and besides, he must have been quite anxious to try on his new underwear.

...

After the game, the so-called Great Dane refused to analyze with me, despite the fact that I kept pulling on his tie and that I claimed to have missed "several wins." If there's one thing I will not abide, it's poor sportsmanship.

End Wilder

Not exactly a barn-burner of a game, was it? Of course, that was Wilder's schtick. In another "Agony" column, someone sent him a game to show how badly he f'ed up a crucial game, and Wilder responded by showing one of his games that he claimed he f'ed up even worse.

Of course, for all of his agonizing over his crappy play, the guy is an International Grandmaster after all, so how bad can he be? His self-deprecating "I always find a way to lose horribly" routine has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Funny, though.
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Posted by: Open Blogger at 02:00 PM | Comments (130)
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Liar in Chief

A new term for me. It was in a video, a TED lecture by Pamela Meyer, "How to Spot a Liar." Duping delight is the thrill of getting away with a lie. It's a term coined by Dr. Paul Eckman (pdf).

[It is] the near irresistible thrill some people feel in taking a risk and getting away with it. Sometimes it includes contempt for the target who is being so ruthlessly and successfully exploited. It is hard to contain duping delight; those who feel it want to share their accomplishments with others, seeking admiration for their exploits.

The Pamela Meyer TED lecture is below the fold, followed by video of duping delight examples. more...

Posted by: rdbrewer at 01:05 PM | Comments (121)
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Celebrates the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

60 Years I believe, is this anniversary.

I wonder if this nation could take the Falklands back today?

There was a time when Britain had a pair. I hope they find them again.

via Kevlarchick

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Posted by: Dave in Texas at 11:53 AM | Comments (179)
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Grinning Angela Corey Holding Her New Toy,
George Zimmerman, at the Press Conference

From the New York Daily News:

A medical report by George Zimmerman’s doctor has disclosed that Zimmerman had a fractured nose, two black eyes, two lacerations on the back of his head and a back injury on the day after the fatal shooting. If this evidence turns out to be valid, the prosecutor will have no choice but to drop the second-degree murder charge against Zimmerman — if she wants to act ethically, lawfully and professionally.

There is, of course, no assurance that the special prosecutor handling the case, State Attorney Angela Corey, will do the right thing. Because until now, her actions have been anything but ethical, lawful and professional.

After that freak show press conference, I don't expect her to act ethically either. Oh, yeah. Shout out to Governor Scott. Great work, pal.

Follow me on Twitter.

Posted by: rdbrewer at 08:24 AM | Comments (335)
Post contains 166 words, total size 1 kb.

Looking at the situation in the Badger state, I noticed five things that we here would never see going well for a Republican just a few short years ago, and all of which are impacting the race (so far) in Walker's favor. The obvious helper, evidence in reports on the deficit and jobs, and a big shift in public opinion on collective bargaining, helped him enormously. But these items are rocketing him across the finish line (again, to avoid jinxing it, so far):

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Posted by: CAC at 08:08 AM | Comments (40)
Post contains 1318 words, total size 8 kb.