Write Your Congressman

I was going to post more about The Keep on the Borderlands yesterday when things exploded in my nation's capitol. I know, I know...people read my blog for the gaming stuff not my uneducated commentary on current (politicized) events. Apologies...sometimes, my conscience gets the better of me. And my emotions: that's the reason for the foul language (apologies for that, too).

But...apologies again...not quite ready to get back to the gaming thing. Because we still have a treasonous demagogue in power who has yet to suffer any consequences for his actions. Sure, his delusional supporters incited to violence and revolt will face years in jail (10+ it appears), but the would-be despot-in-chief? Nada. And I can't just do nothing, right? No...because I don't want to be culpable in my silence, do I? 

Of course, I have little power to effect much change in the situation. So I sent a letter to my Representative  tonight (only the House of Representatives may bring articles of impeachment against a sitting president). It's a pretty easy thing to do given technology these days, you just go to this web site and type in your zip code. You'll see an image of your Representative that you can email your strongly worded letter. Here's mine, just in case you want to copy-and-paste something similar:

The events of yesterday (January 6th, 2021) were saddening, shocking, and unprecedented in the history of this country…or ANY “first world” nation with the values that ours purports to champion. That a sitting president can commit TREASON and not be called to task is worse than unconscionable…it is disgraceful and an insult to both the rule of law and the Constitution on which our laws are built. 

The founders of this nation defined “treason” narrowly, to account for its possibility while offering protections against arbitrary accusations. In 1807 the act of “levying war” against the United States was stated to NOT be merely *conspiring* “to subvert by force the government of our country,” but would require an “actual assemblage of men for the purpose of executing a treasonable design.” It is clear, that these are exactly the actions of the president. This is the very definition of treason. 

It is understandable that Congress has taken time to process the shock of yesterday’s events and allowed the president a chance to resign his post, or to allow his cabinet to remove him under the 25th amendment. But as neither of these events have occurred since the president’s reprehensible actions on January 6th, the time has come for action. The House of Representatives MUST bring articles of impeachment against Donald J. Trump immediately, and not wait for additional time to pass. To delay or ignore the abominable events that occurred in this, the world’s longest standing democracy, is to condone and normalize activities that cannot, must NOT be allowed to stand unquestioned and unpunished. 

It matters not that Trump will be ousted on January 20th. It matters NOT the will of the Senate to ratify impeachment; in all probability they will not do so, given the cowardice and hypocrisy of Republican senators. But the Democrats must take action; they must STAND UP for the country, for its laws, for its Constitution, and for its people…the people that they are elected to represent! As a lifelong resident of Washington State, a voter of nearly 30 years (I will be 48 in November), a lover of this nation, and as a constituent, I demand that YOU, as my elected Representative do your duty. Implore the House Speaker to bring articles of impeachment against this traitorous demagogue who besmirches all that this country is supposed to stand for. For the love of this nation, do NOT let this stand!

That's me, though. That's my conscience. If you feel like me, maybe you'll urge your Representative in similar fashion...and if you want to copy my words (or paraphrase them) I don't mind at all.  I mean, what else can we do?  This is up to our elected officials to stand up and enforce the checks and balances built into law; We The People can only ask them, our Congressmen, to be accountable to their oaths of office. We have an obligation as citizens of the United States to communicate our will to our own governance...both by exercising our right to vote, and by ensuring our representatives understand the concerns of their constituents (i.e. ourselves). 

Now...having done what I can, I will try (really) to return to the "normal programming" of this blog.

High Treason

Domestic terrorism in the United States capitol. Shocking and sad and unclear why an armed mob is allowed to injure multiple law enforcement without bringing in the National Guard to deal with these pieces of shit.

Yes, pieces of shit. 

14 days till we can get this rat-fuck out of office. The 25th amendment should have been activated a long time ago. 

Un-fucking-believable. Treason is still illegal in this country, right? 

Today is the feast day of Epiphany. The "12th day of Christmas." And just a real kick to the balls of anyone who loves this country and what it's supposed to stand for. 

Crap. 

Election Day in America

[*ahem*...that is to say, "in the United States of America"]

Just a quick reminder that everyone of legal age in this country should be making sure they take the time and effort to VOTE.

And I really do mean everyone...even those of you who can't seem to figure out that voting for Republicans is detrimental to the health and well-being of ALL of us (including yourselves). Regardless of your political inclination you should be getting out there and exercising you sovereign right to have your voice heard in our political process.

Some folks I know are disenchanted with the choices and options available. Some folks would prefer to obstain from the process or feel that it's against their principles to simply "vote for the lesser of two evils." To which I say: bullshit. If you're a citizen of this country, you have a responsibility to be involved. If you can't stomach what's going on, then work to change it: educate yourself on the process, get involved locally, run for office yourself, or find someone who you DO want to vote for and talk them into seeking office. Don't sit and whine and bitch and then fail to take part...being a citizen means having both rights AND responsibilities. You don't get one without the other...and if you neglect your duty, well, I don't suppose I can really stop you from doing so, but I certainly hold you in less regard.

Don't you want me to respect you?

All right, that's enough of a public service announcement...hopefully I'll be writing more about space RPGs later (mainly having to do with my thoughts on Robin Laws's Ashen Stars, my latest game acquisition). Though that may not go up till tomorrow...I'll be drinking all evening at a local election night celebration tonight.

[and just by the way and speaking of patriotism, I cannot believe their fcking remaking the cold war classic Red Dawn. Holy crap...is it just impossible for Hollywood to come up with an original idea for a movie these days? Well, actually, I did just see Argo, which was excellent and original, but based on a TRUE story...where's the new and original fiction being written? Jeez!]

Out-of-Town

I am currently hanging in Our Nation's Capital, just in case y'all were wondering. The whys and wherefores don't really matter. I shall be back in Seattle tomorrow night (not in time for the weekly play-test unfortunately, but hopefully I'll be able to get some guys together later in the week). When I DO come back, it will be sans wife and baby for about six days, so expect me to be grumpy this week.

Later, gators.

Captain America

Two Fridays ago, I had the opportunity to see the new Captain America film.

This is significant for a number of reasons. For one thing, it's the first film I've seen in the theater since before my child was born (that was back in January). Even before my child was born, there weren't a whole lot of films I was going to see...my days as a cinephile went away sometime in my mid-twenties, and these days it's much easier (and cheaper) to rent Blue-Rays for the big screen TV (or stream Netflix or On Demand) than it is to go out to the theater.

But I really wanted to see this one.

That my wife gave me her blessing to take off while she watched the baby (and even set it up with my buddy Steve-O) was weird enough (it's not like I whined about seeing it or something...come on, I have some parental responsibility!). But I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and I took the opportunity when it presented itself.

Oh yeah.

It may come as a surprise to some that Captain America was probably my favorite comic book superhero growing up. Oh, he didn't have a Saturday morning cartoon or anything and I didn't collect any comics really (I'd just occasionally purchase whatever looked good on the rack, if my parents had recently given me some money). But The Avengers were generally always a good buy (back in the early 1980s), and Captain America was always Mister Avenger.

But there were a ton of good Marvel comics back in those days. Daredevil was fighting ninja with Electra, Spiderman hadn't been saturated with Hobgoblins and black sentient outfits, Thor was still a skinny dude with a walking stick when he wasn't hammering foes with his "naked fist." And Ghost Rider, searing people's souls with hellfire touch? Badass. Much as I liked Green Arrow and Green Lantern (from their cartoon characters) DC could never hold a candle to Marvel characters. Batman...a dude with a utility belt that beat up people...was a total wuss back then.

And of the Marvel characters, time and time again Captain America was the guy that came to the forefront as the leader in every situation.

He was always good, back then. Always did the right thing whenever possible. Always took the high road. And yet he never backed down, never gave up, never surrendered...always gave it 100%.

I can still remember reading the first Secret Wars series (speaking of Spidey's black suit) circa age 12 and wondering how the heck the heroes could to prevail against Doctor Doom when he had the Godlike power of the Beyonder at his beck and call. I mean, he'd just wiped out the entire cadre of good guys at the end of the prior issue, and it was only crazy fortune (or Deus Ex Machina...I was fairly unsophisticated back then) that had allowed them to get back in the game.

And there's Cap, shattered shield in hand, leading the charge against Doom and his legion of monsters...and there's Cap breaking the line and confronting Doom...Cap with no super powers to speak of, just dauntless courage and a high level of fitness.

Never say die, never give up, give it your all, always do what's right...even when it's the hard thing to do. For me, Captain America represented what America the country was supposed to be about.

It might also surprise some people, in light of prior blog posts of condemnation, that I am an American patriot. I've got an American flag hanging outside my house and happily champion the ideals this nation's forefathers set down for us...ideals that to me are much more progressive and leftward-leaning (especially with regard to civic duty) than some folks would have people believe. Just because some people appropriate the idea of "American values" and twist it to their own purposes, leading to death, destruction, and the impoverishment of others doesn't mean we should stop fighting for those ideals.

[*sigh* I'm Roman Catholic, too, and the Catholic church has done terrible, terrible things to many, many people over the centuries of its history. Doesn't mean we shouldn't attempt to "love our neighbors" or use the example of Christ as a model for good living. And, no, Jesus was not a capitalist]

But, back to Captain America, whose Underoos I proudly owned and wore as a child...in recent years, the good Captain has received a bit of a makeover, playing up his wartime (i.e. WWII) background as a soldier. The version of Cap found in the Ultimates imprint (a re-imagining of many Silver Age heroes) is much more martial in tone, combined with a certain...um...simplistic (or perhaps "un-nuanced") morality that has him experience the same anger management mood swings one might find in a steroid abuser. At the same time, the re-imagined character is quite the badass, and in many ways a more believable character (if any such Marvel creation can be described as such) than the wing-headed guy found in the comics the 70s and 80s. For me, reading The Ultimates revived an interest in Cap (and The Avengers) that hadn't been there since before Yellow Jacket was kicked out of the team. And I like the Falcon/Cap team-ups!

So, yeah...what about the movie?

It's great. I've seen pretty much all the Marvel films of the last decade or so (with the exception of the recent Thor film...baby, remember?), and for me, it's high on the list. I think the first Iron Man is probably still the best of the bunch (thanks in large part to Robert Downey Jr.), but it definitely rivals Spider Man 2 (which would have been my shoe-in for second favorite). As a film, I can say that the beginning parts are a little too slow, and the ending/denouement goes a little too fast...but it's always tricky with these "origin stories" to get the pacing right while both a) providing the necessary exposition, and b) providing a fully generated plot.

However, I don't have the same gripes a film critic would...after all, films based on comic books have a different set of grading criteria (for me) than your average film. And what I'M looking for is: how true to the comic book is the portrayal of the character? Certainly, those who've seen the previews will have seen that Cap's costume is much more modeled off the Ultimate Cap imprint than the guy with the red buccaneer boots (though that guy does make an appearance). And the film does mostly take place in the 1940s...would they play him up as a violent, take-no-prisoners killer?

Nope. Asked if he wants to join the army to kill Nazis, he replies:

"I don't want to kill ANYone. I just don't like bullies."

That's a great f'ing line.

This Captain America IS a badass. He's got a totally practical costume, the fancy shield, and a fantastic montage of action sequences to show just why he's the go-to guy when the going gets tough.

But he's still a superhero...that is, someone embodying ideals above and beyond what we might call heroism. Trying to save lives, not take them. Going above and beyond the call of duty. Self-sacrifice. Courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Never say die, never surrender.

Oh, yeah...and he's an artist, too, just like the old Steve Rogers. Not to mention the motorcycle.

I've seen every Captain America movie that's ever been made, and wow are they terrible. But this film, they get so much right, I can totally forgive any oversights and discrepancies that fail to match the comic. Whoever created THIS film knew what they were doing. And knew what Captain America was all about. And they embraced it and ran with it and made a killer movie.

I'd certainly watch it again.

Ugh...TV

I really was going to write about goblins tonight, but I've gotten completely side-tracked by the election night results. Still waiting for a results on a LOT of important propositions...but things just closed 90 minutes ago.

Ugh. I hate waiting.

There are certain tea-baggers I'd bitch about if it would do anything positive. But it won't.

And that's all I have to say now (I had more but I erased it...come on, Washington! Please remain a bastion of sanity!).

Pax, folks.

Back in the U.S. of A.

Well, Texas, actually, which many folks both in AND outside of the state will tell you is NOT exactly the same thing.

However, it IS (officially) U.S. soil which means that I have beat the scare-monger's odds and NOT got blown-up in some sort of international travel incident...though I almost had some pewter olive picks (in the shape of Toledo swords) confiscated in Madrid. ALMOST...they must have decided I looked "mostly harmless" and allowed me to re-pack 'em back in my carry on (little did the pilots know I was deadly with the throwing toothpick!). Once we got to Dallas, I checked them (along with my Toledo sword) so that I wouldn't have to worry about it with American security...they have a notoriously low threshold for humor on such matters.

Yes, I AM bringing my blade back with me, rather than mailing it. It made it to Dallas without damage, we'll see if it gets all the way to SeaTac. I am hopeful...but then I am NOT traveling Continental this trip (which has had a history of losing luggage).

[*sigh*]

Anyhoo, though it may not look like it, I DID do some blogging on the flight over from Spain. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to the internet, so these various thoughts will get posted up over the next few hours. People may begin resuming orders of the B/X Companion without fear...while my "secondary mail service" (AKA my house-sitting brother) was able to mail out half-a-dozen packages for me this week, I will be resuming mail operations manana (I ain't going into work till Wednesday).

Yay!
: )

***EDIT: Oh, yeah...and apparently while I was in the air, Mr. Maliszewski gave a fairly positive review of my B/X Companion over at Grognardia. That's pretty cool; check it out when you have a chance!****

A Few Words on Capitalism

Capitalism is, generally speaking, a Bad Thing. And I do mean that with the capital letters. In general it makes the rich richer and the poor poorer, and while in theory it should promote quality over time, human nature being what it is (at least in present times) that doesn't always happen. Look at Walmart.

Capitalism has definitely made this country (my country, the U.S.A.) rich. Filthy stinking rich. But has it made the country great, as so manny commentators and pundits (especially on the Right would tell you)? Indirectly at best, from where I'm standing. There have certainly been members of the richest elite who have spent their riches to do great and altruistic things both at home and abroad...names like Rockefeller and Gates come to mind. At the same time, there have been plenty of wealthy folks who have spent their wealth on little more than their own and their family's interests...and while holding public office IS a form of public service, for many folks it is simply another method of taking and exercising power.

Plenty of non-rich folks have done things to help make this country great...and I doubt, say, Martin Luther King Jr. would claim his efforts were due in some way to capitalism.

But we DO live in a capitalist country, and it IS a great nation despite its flaws. There are so many things here that we over-look and take for granted, especially in the face of questions like "why aren't we MORE perfect? Why is our standard of living and health care and life expectancy so low compared to other first world countries?" But, man-o-man: just across the border in Mexico, there are young women in Guanajuato who are in jail due to having late-term miscarriages and being charged with abortion (still a felony in that Mexican state) and serving 12-18 years. They had no lawyers because they were too poor to afford them and their country doesn't have a guaranteed "right to attorney" as we do.

And Mexico has universal health care!

ANYway, I digress...this country IS great, mainly based on the hard work of its people (rich and poor) and it IS capitalist and if you want to live in this great nation, you have to play by the capitalist rules. My B/X Companion book is a "for profit" venture...even though I haven't cleared enough to pay a single month of my mortgage, I have made money on it...enough to cover my costs AND do a 2nd print run...or finance the print run of a new book.

And that wouldn't have been possible without selling it for the amount I'm asking. Originally, I was thinking about asking for $18 a copy and my business manager (my wife) told me if I charged that little she would smack me around. It's a niche market I'm selling to, but it's not a vanity project. Well, kind of...no! No! It is NOT a vanity project, but a working set of rules that I'm quite proud of. People ARE getting their money's worth, and I am making enough that I can finance more printing...which is what I want to do.

But I will never be able to make a living off it. Especially not when I'm charging $25 a book (plus shipping & handling) and Wizards of the Coast can put out their D&D Essentials box set for $20 a pop.

$20...holy cow! I suppose they were able to cut costs by recycling artwork? By pulling TSR's old box-printing machines out of storage?

Last night's rant was just that...a rant. And the frustration being expressed was not about WotC's ability to print and publish material...it was frustration expressed at people who buy their material and support their business even though they don't like it.

But here's my new thought on the matter...don't we want to be a bit discerning in our tastes? Or do we want to just buy the cheapest thing on the market.

This country is great, but we destroy small and local businesses every time we choose Walmart for their cheaper prices. Even I, who hates waiting for ANYthing, can delay my gratification enough not shop at frigging Walmart. I prefer to support my local businesses whenever possible, even buying coffee at every single locally owned shop in the neighborhood (despite the fact that their drip coffee is almost universally terrible...at least they all have free wi-fi). And I skip the big chains when possible, as well.

But whatever...I'm digressing again. With regard to BUYING RPGs, I totally salute those folks that have a limited budget to spend on such luxuries...I know my wife would prefer me to not drop as much coin as I do, AND I try to buy "used" and "cheap" whenever possible. But buying is a part of the hobby...new material for ideas, new material for inspiration, new material for nights when you don't want to come up with your own adventure, and new games when you're ready to change up the existing program at your gaming table.

We COULD all just sit in our rec-rooms pencilling up our own RPGs, but as a hobby community...and a social one...we tend to want to share what we've wrought with others, and see what ideas others have penned also. And that means being part of the marketplace and buying, buying, buying.

BUT...we CAN be discerning in our tastes. The great promise of capitalism is "two stores sell a similar product, and the one that makes a better product lasts and the other one goes out of business." This tends not to happen, at least in the USA...the company with the cheaper products stay in business and the one with higher quality, higher price stuff, goes under.

[except in the case of VERY high end products that are always sold to a niche market anyway...say, Tesla electric sports cars]

Despite all the love and effort and imagination and creativity and artwork that goes into RPGs, it's hard to see anyone ever valuing them for much more than the worth of the paper on which they're printed. Which is sad and all, but it's a fact of life. But WE, the niche buyers of this niche market, can choose to purchase quality, despite cost, when we see it. And for RPGs quality means (to me) quality of play...because isn't that why we buy RPGs in the 1st place? Not as expensive, elaborate coffee table books (or door stops), but because they help our game?

It's the reason I choose to buy them anyway. And it's the standard I plan on holding to every game product out there that I choose to buy (with the exception of the old ones I'm just buying to deconstruct and tinker with...as I've said before, RPGs are my "beater car" hobby). I hope others can get on board with my plan, rather than just buying the newest, shiniest thing on the shelf. It's the only way I can see to really challenge the competition.

By the way: IF we choose to purchase games based on actual play performance and not simply marketing, or press releases, or "name recognition," this will make Cons and Demo games vitally important for showcasing new product. As a community-based hobby, I don't see that as a bad thing at all.

; )

Happy Birthday USA!

It's a gloomy overcast day in Seattle, as is usual. Most July 4ths are pretty rainy in this neck of the woods with the hot, dry summer starting sometime in the next 1-2 weeks. A little rain on the 4th has never bothered me much...it doesn't affect the fireworks and it keeps the number of fires down. But I'm an indoor kind of cat anyway: right now I'm watching Murder on the Orient Express, eating a late breakfast, and strategizing with the wife on how to keep the dogs from freaking out tonight.

One Independence Day suggestion for all Americans: I would strongly recommend going out and buying a copy of The True Patriot by Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer. It's a quick read and inexpensive and it may just make you want to fly Old Glory even if you've been protesting the country's recent history of less-than-stirling action both foreign and domestic.

Happy 4th, everyone! Hope it's safe, sane, AND fun!