What the FUCK?

I’m a business guy.

That means that I understand that stuff happens, and you just kind of deal with it. Maybe it’s the project manager in me. Whatever.

However, I completely don’t understand this.

Naturally, like millions of other Americans, I did the vast majority of my holiday shopping online. Paid my express shipping, paid for my “guaranteed arrival” and so on.

However, as of this writing, NONE of the presents due to arrive at my house for friends and family have arrived. None.

There’s a total of 14 packages. UPS and Fedex both.

All of them were scheduled to arrive between 19 and 24 December. Of course, there was a snowstorm on the Monday and Tuesday. Backed stuff up.

As I said, stuff happens. It’s unfortunate, but you can’t help such things. Act of nature.

I understand that these packages weren’t going to get here before Christmas…and while I’m not happy about it, how could you possibly blame the carriers? I mean, if I’M not gonna go out in that weather, why should they? It isn’t safe.

However, by the day after Christmas, there was no snow any more. In fact, rain and temperature had largely wiped out most of the snow. By Saturday, it was completely gone.

So, they didn’t deliver Saturday…I don’t QUITE get that, but whatever.

Today, however, I’d expect something, right?

No. Not only is it not here, it’s not on the truck, and they don’t know when they’ll get to it. So the express fee I paid doesn’t seem to matter. The “When it absolutely, positively must be there overnight” people basically said “fuck off.”

I GET the weather issue. I GET the fact is was the holidays, and you have high volume. I GET all that. What I don’t get is the fact that you can’t tell me when it’s going to arrive! It’s fucking insulting! Do you not have multi-billion dollar tracking and analytics packages to TELL you when I’m going to get my package? You KNOW it’s at your loading facility…you just don’t know when you’re going to feel like delivering it? What kind of shit is that?

And here’s a nice one: UPS had the nerve to provide status on two of my packages: “Attempted delivery – Business Closed.” Business closed? It’s a fucking HOUSE. Where do you see “business” anywhere here? You didn’t attempt delivery! Why are you lying to me? And more importantly, when I called, and said “We are NOT a business! Where is my package?!” They said all the right things. “We are SO sorry sir, let me take your number and I will have someone call you in the next two hours!” So I did…and that was on Friday, the 26th.

So it’s clear why my packages aren’t here. They don’t know how to tell time.

I am freaking livid. My wife has yet to receive a single gift from me this holiday season, because the two major express carriers in the US have decided that “a lot of packages” plus some snow is an excuse NOT to deliver on time.

DHL has decided to pull out of the US…this apparently is too much strain on the express delivery environment, and neither carrier is able to pick up the slack effectively.

Right now, I’m so pissed, I can’t even think straight. I’m pretty sure I’m calling the places from which I purchased these things, and getting my “express delivery” charges refunded, and then some. After that, I have to think about how the hell I’m going to send things around the country without Fedex or UPS.

Open Letter to John McCain

Senator McCain,

I’m really not all that sorry that you lost the presidential election.

I admit that there was a time when I would have gratefully accepted you as my president. Back then, you really were someone who believed in the right thing…or at least you honestly made me believe you were.

The Rove-Bush machine completely steamrollered you in 1994. You would have thought that your anger and relative helplessness at what they’d done to you would have steeled your resolve against ever using those tactics.

But then, this year, you actually won your primaries…due in large part to your previous history and the manner in which Bush and Cheney completely fucked up the White House.

You were close. So you asked the Republican Party to help you win.

That was your first big mistake. First, the RNC has no love for you, and never has. The fact that you were their candidate didn’t thrill many of the upper echelon, but they’d figured they could try to help you, if only to stay in power. Next, their only current method of projecting power is negativity and fear. For someone like you, that message is an error. I thought you were about experience and never giving up against tough obstacles and doing what is right…not just expediency. About fighting the good, honorable fight.

So your RNC “allies” decided to talk about a tenuous connection to a guy who bombed some buildings in the US over 30 years ago. Tried to make your opponent sound like a bad guy. Allowed your machine to talk about the fact that he was an Arab, or Muslim…play on the public’s fears.

And you know what? If you’d been running against Al Gore or John Kerry, that might have even worked.

The problem you ran up against is that Barack Obama is about 950 times more charismatic and charming that both of them put together. Consequently, none of that stuff was able to stick. People LIKE Obama. They didn’t really like Gore (too brainy) and they didn’t really like Kerry (too boring). But Obama? They LOVE him. So the fact that John Kerry decided that Vietnam was a bad thing after he’d been there…and that made him a bad person. But you couldn’t make junk like that stick to Obama.

Then, Obama did an extraordinary thing. He unequivocally respected you. He conceded points to you when he thought you were right. He usually said things like that you were a good man, that you loved your country, that you had served the US faithfully and admirably.

In return, you questioned his loyalty, his friends, his motives.

And the people said “that isn’t John McCain.” Instead of talking issues, you devolved into namecalling and sleazy politics. And the people said “that’s just like Bush.” And you put yourself in a camp with the people who fucked up the country.

But even THEN, you had a chance. All you had to do was choose someone like you. Someone who wasn’t going to knuckle under to machine pressure…someone with credibility, who had some experience like you, and could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you weren’t the bitch of the RNC. And instead of choosing Joe Lieberman, who would have truly put you in the White House, you chose a fundamentalist Christian wacko with no credibility as your second in command.

You could have chosen a man who truly knew about bipartisanship, a guy who, although pissing a bunch of folks off, knew what he believed in, and stood for it, even against his party…just like you. You could have shut a mess of Democrats up…you chose one of theirs for your VP…a guy who had cred in DC. You could have rammed experience and bipartisanship down the Dems’ throats.

But instead? You chose someone who no one even knew before she was tapped. Someone who couldn’t name the three countries in North America. Someone who didn’t know Africa was a continent. Someone who believed that proximity to Russia was an excuse for foreign policy experience. And someone who was rabidly anti-choice, pro-fundamentalist religion.

In doing that, you galvanized the fence-sitters against you. Sure, you delighted some of the folks who would have voted for you just to keep “THAT ONE” out of the White House. But the thoughtful ones, the ones who truly were thinking “Hmm…McCain might be a Republican I can get behind…” all of them said “There’s no fucking way I can allow that woman anywhere near a position of power in this country.”

And you sealed your loss.

You were right in saying “There were lots of things we did wrong.”

When I watched your concession speech, I was struck by two things. The first, was that I said “There’s John McCain…where the fuck was he for the last 6 months?” The next was that when you mentioned Obama’s name, your audience booed. They actually booed. And the look on your face, and your body language said it all: “How could I have sided with these people?” You, again, realized that you’d given up your morals, and your sense of what was right, all for a shot at an office that could have been yours if you’d just been who you’ve always been.

Yes, you’re a hothead. And yes, you’re sometimes on the wrong side of some issues. But you had honor, and we all knew it.

You gave THAT up. You surrounded yourself with people you didn’t like, didn’t believe in, all for what you incorrectly thought was your best chance of winning an election.

And that, Mr. McCain, is really the last judgment on the campaign. In a high-stress, very important situation, you made the wrong choice.

And that’s a quality people won’t tolerate in a president. You made the wrong choice in taking a Bush/Rove way to the presidency, you made the wrong choice in choosing a running mate, you made the wrong choice accepting public money, and you made the wrong choice rushing to DC to help solve the economic crisis, and just managed to make yourself look powerless.

You’re a good person. I know you are. And I used to believe that you’d always do what you thought was right. But this campaign proved otherwise. It proved that you’d knuckle under to the same bullshit.

You’ve already realized that there’s no further political future for you. You’ll keep your senate seat for a few more years, then probably quietly fade away.

That line from Batman is definitely true. “You stick around long enough, you watch yourself become the bad guy.”

In the meantime, Barack Obama will effect that change that you really wanted. And you can be a part of it. A big part. Show that you were as good as your word.

I’m glad you lost…but I’m sorry for what the campaign did to you…or what you did to yourself because of it.

Good luck, Senator.

Wow…Talk About Busy…

Very busy, so some quick updates.

Fable 2 is better than expected. Walks the line between storytelling and sandbox very nicely. I never feel pressured to have to go anywhere, but any time I do feel like advancing a quest, the steps I need to take are right there. Although some of the minigames are a bit repetitive, overall, it’s a lovely way to spend a few hours.

The COD5 beta is very enjoyable. The Pacific theatre stuff is a long time in coming. Game is out on 11 November. That’s already preordered.

Little Big Planet is amazing. At it’s heart, it’s a platformer. Get from the start of the level to the end. The big deal is the design and implementation. Absolutely gorgeous, humorous, and just plain charming as hell. To top it all off, during the levels, you’re finding bubbles filled with stickers, parts, materials, and costumes. With all of that, you can build your own levels, and share them with the world at large. Beautiful concept and implementation. If you have a PS3, it’s a must have.

Fallout 3 comes out today…so much for whatever little spare time I had left.

Speaking of little spare time, I’m playing World of Warcraft again. I’m almost 70…just in time for the expansion on 14 November. Whee…

Gears of War 2 is coming out on 7 November. Where the hell were all these games for the last 6 months?

The 31st of October is Halloween, yes…but it’s also my first wedding anniversary. I think it’ll be low key…taking the day off, getting dinner. Time flies…

Today’s Rock Band 2 downloadable content is a Siouxsie and the Banshees pack. Could I be any happier? No. Now all I need is an album release of Head On The Door, and I’m all set.

Off to work. Hopefully, my Tuesday will be better than my Monday….

In London…

Staying in a way too trendy hotel…

You know the type…trance in the lobby and elevators, large LCD panels in the lobby showing fronds of waving bamboo….

Anyway, the bed was pretty comfy, excellent shower pressure, and I hate to admit I like the ambient mood lighting that I can set to whatever color I like that also underlights the translucent stone desktop.

Waiting in the lobby right now for my co-worker so we can grab some breakfast before heading into the office.

Actually looking forward to working in London again. I like the tone, pace…and the expressions and accents are all comfortingly familiar.

In the cab on the way to the hotel, headed over the Hammersmith Bypass, passing that ludicrous “ark” building, my brain was saying, “then you’ll turn left at the Tesco, so you can head north to Hampstead, where you live…almost home….”

Funny, that. Haven’t lived in London since 2001…but in a way, it’s still very familiar….

Off to London…

Going to London tomorrow for about a week…

Probably have more time to write then. In the meantime, have some QuikThoughtz(tm).

There are seven games coming out between October 15 and November 15 that I would consider “must haves.” I wonder how much vacation time I have left this year.

If John McCain is a Maverick, does that make Sarah Palin a Goose?

I’m no longer a project manager by trade. It’s the first time in almost 15 years that my primary job responsibility isn’t project management.

The idea of having the responsibility of strategy for a job role is pretty much like saying “for some reason, y’all think my opinion is more valid than yours.” It’s going to take awhile to get used to that concept.

I’m really looking forward to going to London. I’m going to see a bunch of friends this time over. Some of whom I haven’t seen in almost 10 years.

I love my job. I love getting to think about gaming all day…and they PAY me for it!

Off to London tomorrow. More later!

Levels of Rage…Rising…

Thanks to the lovely and talented wife for the title of this post. She says it when I’ve obliviously done something suitably bone-headed…just to remind me of the thin ice on which I might currently be walking. It’s actually hysterical when she says it…or more commonly leaves it as a message on my machine when I was supposed to meet her 10 minutes ago and I’m blithely typing away on my laptop at work and didn’t hear my mobile phone ring.

Anyway, I find myself getting angrier and angrier at the entire election campaign. I remember when two politicians actually debated issues…whether they would be tough on the Soviets…whether they believed in space exploration…whether they felt nuclear power was a viable energy alternative.

Instead, while the Dow is plummeting hundreds of points a day, while two of the big four investment firms are declaring bankruptcy, while the government is bailing out AIG for almost 100 billion dollars, we have politicians spouting mock offense about perceived personal insults.

Don’t even get me started on Palin’s response to the AIG bailout. The sum total of her analysis? “Too bad taxpayers have to fund it.” Really? How about “My party is sorry that we’ve spent the last thirty years passing laws that created an environment that allowed investment banks and insurance companies to risk people’s life savings with impunity.”

Nah. Instead, we get “Don’t worry! I’m not like the rest of the republicans! Even though I voted with them on all of those bills and laws! Now I’m serious about cleaning up Washington!”

You weren’t before? Awesome….

Anyway, I’ve been spending a lot more time pinging/twittering. It’s pretty much taken over my blog as my spouting to the world.

Oh, I’m not quitting blogging…I’m just spending more time twittering. So if you’re looking for your dose o’ Glenn more frequently, you can follow me as justicar @ twitter!

See ya there!

You, too, might be a Vice-presidential Candidate!

Politics is a strange thing.

After hearing/reading Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech, one is seriously left to wonder how little qualification you need to be Vice-President of the United States.

The woman spent the vast majority of her time talking about how qualified McCain was, or the lack of qualifications that Obama has…as if somehow SHE was qualified to make amy sort of assessment.

I suppose the rigorous training of being a runner-up Miss Alaska, or erstwhile sportscaster, magically transforms you into some sort of political sooperpundit, capable of providing witty, insightful political commentary.

Frankly, kids, if I were in her shoes, I’d have tried to come across as competent. Talked about the challenges of being a small town mayor…or of being a governor in a state of a diverse populace, with unique challenges. Nah… She’s a Republican at a convention…which means she gets to be sarcastic, and be what effectively amounts to being a dick…all without ever having even the slightest idea of what it takes to hold the position for which she’s been nominated.

McCain is 72 years old. At last count, the average life expectancy of a Vietnam Vet with cancer and a heart condition is somewhere south of that.

Could you listen to Palin’s speech last night and say “Yeah, I’d want her as my president?”

Closing thought: If you think there’s no way she’ll ever make it to the Vice-Presidency, I offer two scary words: Dan Quayle.

Too Human? Try Too Short.

This blog post contains spoilers about the game Too Human. Don’t read it if you’re playing it now…not that it’ll take you long to finish….

OK…the game is a not-as-good version of Diablo, although it’s effectively got a Norse mythos cyberpunk thing going on. It’s 3D, yes…but it’s linear 3D. That is, you can’t jump over a railing that’s waist height, even though you can jump 30 feet in the air to smack an enemy.

The problems don’t end there, though. You can find yourself in a ‘dungeon’ fighting a boss monster, and once he dies, without your doing anything, you’re teleporting back to home base, and find yourself in the middle of a cutscene. Linear narrative it ain’t.

There’s also these cyberwells that let you enter an idyllic cyberworld where you can do rudimentary things like push a door open. This has the symbiotic effect of opening a locked door in ‘the real world.’ Oh boy. Never saw that game mechanic before. It’s a waste of time because there’s no puzzle solving required. You walk up to the well, hit A, then walk down the linear path until you get to a glowing circle. Stand on the circle and pull one of the triggers. Walk back down the linear path to the well and re-enter the real world. I know. So clever, I’m wondering where my Nobel prize is for solving it.

You’re a God, in theory, but you can’t walk through tall grass, over waist high walls, or even knee high dips or rises in height. Unless you’re supposed to go there, in which case, you can blast gaping holes in several foot thick walls, if needed.

Still and all, most of that might be forgiven if the game were more than eight hours long. Yes, the combat system is quirky, and of course, like Diablo, it’s a huge lootfest, and the monsters are largely one of four types. With all that, the story is a retelling of the old Norse myths, and not a bad one.

Save for the fact that after you go to Helheim to kill Loki’s daughter, Hel, Loki is nowhere to be found, you see a cutscene that shows Loki with a big mechanized giant, and a VoiceOver saying that we have no idea where Loki is, but we have to find him, because he’s probably doing something bad.

No shit.

And then the game ends. Took me 10 hours, even with all the cutscenes, and leaving it alone for stretches at a time while I grabbed a drink or got the phone.

The game took over 10 years to make, and we get a cliffhanger ripe for a sequel? Fuck that.

If I’d paid for this, I’d be pissed.

Yeah, it’s OK…but all that wasted potential makes me sick.

This one’s a rental.

On my way to work…

Well, it’s finally cooled down some. It was 80 degrees for a few days last week, and now it’s a nice 65, with it hitting about 72 today….you know, if you believe such forecasts.

It’s interesting to me, because a simple ten or fifteen degrees makes a huge difference between way too hot and really comfortable.

I’m sure I have a number of friends and family in engineering and medicine who could tell me why that is, but I’m pretty content knowing that it’s true.

In other news, my good friend Adam is moving out to Seattle on Wednesday. It’ll be awesome to have a long-time friend in relatively close proximity. He’ll be staying with us until he finds a place, which, knowing Adam, won’t be too long.

I’ve also been playing Too Human for the last week…even though it comes out on Tuesday. Lots of messages from friends asking how I’m playing it already. Definitely one of the best work perqs I’ve ever gotten on the twenty years I’ve been working.

Free games, and getting them a week or more before street date? It’s like game geek heaven.

Looking around the bus, there has to be at least twenty people with ipods and iPhones. Maybe Apple should quit with the overpriced and underwhelming computers they’ve been putting out for the last several years and stick to handhelds. And no, I’m not talking about the Newton.

Busy day today, so more later.

To Code or Not to Code…

This morning, I’ve started to brainstorm iPhone apps.

I’m doing some basic research on what it’d take for me to put together a couple of things for my iPhone.

Apparently, the basic dev kit from Apple is $99. Of course it is. Well, to be fair, the dev kit is free, but the docs, training resources, and access to the iTunes store for distribution of your apps is $99.

Anyway, I’m seriously considering paying for the kit. Maybe I’ll build something I could sell….