Erik

@4:
Fraud is still fraud. Securities fraud is a big deal, and a federal crime.

@5
No, stereotypes are why people hate America.

I, for one, am only loud during sports or while drunk (or both)... and I only wear cowboy hats for special occasions. ;)

(But seriously, some Americans are intellectuals. Some are even patient, moderate voters!)

He sits, eyes squinting.
Waiting.

This isn't the place. This isn't
the sort of corner of existence
that most people would ever venture,
let alone expect it.

But he's a trained hunter.
An assassin.
A sniper.

Then suddenly the target materializes,
but,
the sniper waits patiently.
Lining up the shot.

He must choose the right angle
the right moment
the right line
for the perfect shot
making fun of the off-topic post
about next gen consoles.

(c) Erik Hanson 2006

@5

Um, at least half of my pay goes to rent, food, and utilities.

...wait, how long can I have been moved out from my parents' place before I can't move back? I could afford a PS3 if I didn't have to pay these "taxes" and "electricity bills"! What good are those anyway?

I'm sad now.

@14

Rofl.

In fact, if you'd do your reading, you'd find that the major texts of Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Confucianism, and others all (though none were originally written in English, so this is a loose translation) say "Don't be a dick." Heck, you can even find it in pre-Christian Greek ethics. It's just another way of phrasing the Golden Rule.

I drive a 98 Carolla.

LEGO Brokeback Mountain.

http://destinationdaniel.smugmug.com/gallery/1213678

Atari has made some games I've paid for:

Neverwinter Nights
Backyard Sports (please, it's for the kids)
Once Upon a Knight
MOO 3
Temple of Elemental Evil
And those lovely Deer Hunter games when i'm trashed at a bar

I think that the two uses of "twink" are probably related. Check these:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pederasty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pederasty

I'd be willing to bet that, given the common practice for so many years (far older than Gary Gygax and his D&D) of older homosexual men acting as patrons to younger protoge "twinks," and providing for those "twinks" both materially and intellectually, that the MMO term is similar. I know that bak in the old UO days, I'd interpret the term as exactly that: a reference to a homosexual relationship between a new character who was given equipment from a veteran character.

Man, that was hard to write while avoiding bad double entendres.

For the "PC v. Mac" debate:

I run an older WinXP computer as well as a new Ubuntu box (but both 3.2 Ghz) at work. WinXP consitently boots about 20% faster (about a minute before Ubuntu's ready).