I know, I know, you're still wondering about my trip to Colorado. Well, I'll get to it, or maybe I won't, I don't know. Suffice it to say, I didn't get to do a hot air balloon ride, because it cost $185 per person, which is a lot of money to shell out for a ride in a wicker basket. I did, however, take a tour of an abandoned silver mine, which was pretty cool. And, we did other things, but I'll blog about that later, or maybe I won't, I don't know.
There's this commercial I see once in awhile that drives me buggy. It's an advertisement for debt Relief Clearing House, or some other sort of "get out of debt" service (here's an idea, stop spending money you don't have). Well, anyway, this particular commercial features customer testimonials to give it an air of authenticity, and one testimonial, no matter how many times I hear it, makes my cranium krinkle like a tin can. One woman says, and I quote: "It's a relief off my shoulders."
What the fuck does that even mean?! Why would you want to get relief off your shoulders? Personally, I'd like to keep the relief ON my shoulders. I'd like to have some spare relief sitting around, you know, for the tough times. Yes, I realize the woman just misspoke, but seriously, why didn't the film editing folks catch it? Why did they keep that maddening sound bite in there?
Why, yes, I did see that commercial last night, right before bed. Why do you ask?
So, did you see the before and after photos of the Demonic Duo? I did. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: death isn't very photogenic. Despite the scraggly beards, I had very little difficulty connecting the dots (er, the blood splatters and bruises, as the case may be) and deducing that they were, indeed, the dead bodies of the Hussein boys. Qusay was pretty easy to figure out. Uday, on the other hand, took a little work. Ultimately, it was his eyebrows that gave him away.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to see pictures of dead bodies. I've seen enough dead bodies and pictures of dead bodies to know that there are far more pleasant things to do with my time. Still. . . morbid curiousity got the better of me. Okay, so I'm a sick puppy. Sue me.
I find it amusing that there are media outlets out there asking why the military released the photos. Well, the answer is pretty obvious. Just ask Salam Pax. Can you imagine being so terrified of a couple of human beings, you actually have to see their dead bodies before you'll believe they're gone and can no longer hurt you? Here in the U.S., we heard about the deaths and said "good riddance." In Iraq, they want, they need, to see for themselves. The Hussein shadow is long indeed, and it will take quite some time to shine the light into the dark crevices of his defunct regime.
I'll admit it. I play The Sims once in awhile. I don't like it the way I like first person shooters or real time strategy games, but it has its appeal. It's relaxing, for one thing. You just tell a computer simulated human being what to do. It's digital slavery, really. And, you can cheat and build opulent mansions, and buy pretty much anything your heart desires, so long as the programmers included it in the game's inventory of items. It's nice to be a millionaire, if only in the digital world. It gives you an idea what it's like to be ridiculously wealthy in the real world. For one thing, you never worry about spending money. Never. If you want something, you buy it, without even looking at the cost. It's just assumed you have an endless supply of cash, which you do, so you don't worry about it. That's nice.
And that's why online/home/index.jsp">The Sims online was such a flop. Okay, it wasn't a flop, but it didn't come even close to meeting the expectations of its creators. Why? Because you have to work to get money. People don't like doing that in real life, so why would they want to come home from their jobs, fire up their computers, and do it all again? I didn't buy The Sims online, because a little voice told me not to. The idea is great: a world full of Sims enthusiasts interacting online and having fun. It should have been great, but the designers sure blew sheep when they decided not to allow unlimited wealth. Players want to be creative, and show off their house designs, and not worry about cash. Oh, and nobody wants to pay a monthly fee to play a game online. fuck that.
Ah, but The Sims 2 has potential, even though you apparently won't be able to play online. I'm a sucker for cool graphics, and this game has taken minute detailing to a new level. The interplay between light and shadow, and the drool-inducing attention to detail pretty much ensures I'll be buying this game when it comes out.
I'd also like it if a new Aliens Vs. Predator game came out. Playing that game online is a hoot. A bloody, body-part-flying, Qusay-and-Uday death-fest of a hoot. But, a hoot all the same.
Speaking of which, I saw Alien Resurrection again last night. I don't understand why that flick was given such a bad rap. Sure, it has its hokey parts, with Winona Ryder being a major hokey part, but the movie itself serves up some truly horrifying scenes, particularly the underwater swimming scene, which is a claustrophopic nail-biter from start to finish.
That's it for now. I may blog again later in the day, or maybe I won't, I don't know.
Posted by Ryan at July 25, 2003 10:58 AM
Stumble It!
