More of the same

Climate change is constantly sensationalized by the media. Check out this glaring example, an article titled Climate change blamed for Caribbean coral deaths.

The first eight paragraphs discuss all the bad stuff that can happen when coral reefs degrade, and mention only a single cause of this degradation: climate change. Yet, if you read through to the ninth paragraph (very few readers finish an article, either on-line or in print), you get this gem: The degradation of Caribbean reefs is not entirely linked to climate change, with disease killing about 90 percent of Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals in the 1970s. Ninety percent!

Now skip ahead to the very last paragraph, where one of the researchers is finally quoted: We suggest that the last period of decline is partly due to climate change, but also due to several other human impacts such as over-fishing and coastal development... If you read those two paragraphs, which mention disease, over-fishing and coastal development as major causes of reef damage, how can you responsibly ignore those and title the article exclusively about climate change?

Read the article yourself (it's short.) I'm not cherry-picking quotes to make my point. This is another clear example of global warming sensationalization. If you just read the headline and a few paragraphs at the start, you come away with the distinct impression that climate change is the sole, or at least the biggest contributor to this damage, when quotes in the article itself belie this conclusion. And while we continue to focus on phantoms like man-made global warming, we don't pay enough attention to problems that are much easier to fix and are proven to have a bigger impact on our environment.

We need balanced and reasonable approaches to solving problems, not doomsaying and histrionics. Just like the abortion issue, where sensationalization by pro-lifers actually leads to a loss of life, sensationalization of global warming actually damages the environment.

Fallout 3

This is a really good game.

I've been playing it for close to a month now (note the coincidental timing with my lack of blogging) and there's still lots more for me to explore. It's a role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. The gameplay itself is typical, with lots of bad guys to kill, quests to complete, treasure to loot, and items to craft. But what sets the game apart is incredible size and depth.

To give you an idea of the size of the world, the first time I played the game through, I reached the maximum level of 20 and completed the main quest without exploring even half of the locations on the map. Now I'm on my second playthrough, seeking out the locations I missed the first time, and there are still a couple dozen places I've yet to visit.

The world itself is rendered beautifully, with painstaking attention to detail. Addtionally, the depth of the backstory and the characters you interact with make it easy to become immersed in this gloomy world. Even the voiced-over dialogue is moderately thoughtful...good enough that it doesn't constantly remind you that you're playing a video game.

Another amazing aspect of the game is the amount of both historical and pop culture references throughout. There are plenty of "easy" references in a futuristic post-apocalyptic wasteland, to Mad Max, Starship Troopers, and the Transformers. But there are hundreds of more subtle, buried references to subjects as diverse as Cool Hand Luke, the Shining, Sifl and Olly, and a 1793 painting called The Death of Marat. Of course, the vast majority of these are lost on me, so they don't improve gameplay on their own. But reading all this stuff when browsing the Fallout 3 Wiki gives me a real appreciation for the amount of time and caring the designers put into the game. And it's even educational sometimes too...for instance, I learned the story behind the origination of Arlington National Cemetery.

And finally, saving the best for last, in Fallout 3 you can create a Railway Rifle. It fires railroad spikes at lethal speeds using steam power. Fatal head shots result in the victim's head being torn from the body and stuck to the nearest wall (or ceiling, if you crouch and aim up) by said spike. And the gory dismemberment is accompanied by a delightful whistling sound as the steam is released. In spite of a limited number of components to repair my Railway Rifle, and a short supply of ammo, I find myself overusing this weapon for the sheer aesthetic pleasure of it.

Fallout 3 easily one of the best games I've played. Still, it could take a few lessons from the Witcher. The moral choices in the game lack any subtlety, and are all strictly black-and-white (enslave or set free, kill or negotiate, dentonate a nuclear bomb in the middle of a town or disarm it, etc.) What's worse, the 'bad' choices often have miniscule rewards, so there's very little reason to vary behavior unless you're strictly role-playing. And of course, the inability to seduce even a single female character, including the one wearing nothing but a neglige that you lead across the Wasteland to safety, is a frustrating omission.

Onward Christian Soldiers

Honestly, sometimes I wish there was a Hell. Watching all you Christians burn next to me would make an eternity of torture bearable, maybe even entertaining.

A mentally unstable Christian, inspired by the Army of God's Defensive Action Statement, is calling his murder of an abortion doctor 'justifiable homicide'.

Of course. Never mind the Ten Commandments, never mind that Jesus lived for 33 years without managing to kill a single person. Never mind that the killer had to walk into a fucking church - the House of your God - to execute the abortion doctor.

Oh, but he's just a wacko, right? It wouldn't be fair to judge all Christians by his actions. One bad apple, etc.

Maybe you just put the gun in his hand and told him where to point it. Endlessly sensationalizing the issue - equating unborn fetuses to live babies, equating abortion with murder, and demonizing doctors - implies consent for this violence. Everyone who has an 'abortion is murder' bumper sticker (or tolerates church-mates who do), everyone who identifies himself as a single-issue voter, everyone who pickets and demonstrates against doctors or the heartbroken women who've agonized over the abortion decision - you all have blood on your hands. You have created a culture of confrontation that tries to prevent abortions through bullying. That makes you a killer, and if you truly believe in an all-powerful spirit with a propensity for eternal burning, you better start begging for forgiveness right now.

Maybe instead of demonizing law-abiding doctors and would-be mothers, you should inject a bit of rationality into your political positions. Push for earlier and more sex education, readily available birth control, you know - strategies that have actually been proven to reduce unwanted pregnancies, unlike the bullshit abstinence programs that teenagers simply lie about. Strategies that focus on bringing fewer unwanted babies into this world, not more. Strategies that can prevent the tragedy of unprepared parents neglecting or abusing a child they are unwilling or unable to care for.

Or would you prefer a more personal approach? Go to an inner-city middle school, and tell all the seventh-grade girls that if they have an unwanted pregnancy before they graduate, you will adopt the baby if they carry it to term. You might save half a dozen lives this way.

Of course, then you'd have to actually do something constructive. You'd have to work. You'd have to support and love and raise children. It's not as easy as getting a bumper sticker at church, voting Republican, and waiting for some mentally unstable jackass to do your dirty work. But it would save lives, and that's what is really important, isn't it?

Yeah, I didn't think so. See you in Hell.

NFL Draft Review

I loved the Eagles' draft.

Maclin was one of the two elite playmaking WRs in the draft, and should have been off the board by pick #10. Instant impact as a returner, and should see the field in a handful of personnel groups as a rookie. Finally the Eagles have a WR who can catch a slant and take it 80 yards - something that every decent West Coast offense has.

Shady McCoy was another great value in the second round, and he fills a glaring need. Considered by many scouts to have the best lateral quickness and short burst acceleration in the draft, these natural abilities combined with his receiving skills make him a perfect fit for this offense. He'll contribute as soon as he learns to block, which is not something he was asked to do often at Pitt.

Cornelius Ingram is a pass-catching TE from Florida who was on track to be a second-round pick before he blew out his knee. Possibly the most athletic TE in the draft, he should be healthy enough to participate in the team's first mini-camp. This was another need, and Ingram has a chance to be an impact player, not just a back-up.

The trade for Ellis Hobbs was low-risk/high-reward, and the front office should be commended for it. Two fifth-rounders are a miniscule price to pay for a starting CB, but New England didn't need him anymore after drafting a CB in round two. He's only got one year left on his contract, so the Patriots realized his value was only going to get lower if they held on to him. The Eagles get a proven player for a year, and some insurance against Sheldon Brown going in the tank.

I'm not going to pretend to know anything about the other 5th-7th round picks, because I don't. But the first three selections were great values at areas of need. All three have a chance to make an impact this year.

Not every team was so successful.

The Detroit Lions bought a $42 million lottery ticket at the top of the first round, selecting Georgia QB Matt Stafford, in spite of an 80% failure rate for junior QBs. The Jets then traded three players and three picks to Cleveland for the right to pay another junior QB tens of millions in signing bonus. Denver and the Raiders made a mess of their drafts as well, locking up another three seasons for the Chargers atop the AFC West. Basic decision-making skills were ignored by experts in their field who analyzed every available player for months, while the perenially good teams made solid decisions across the board.

Is it September yet?

Jeremy Maclin

Beyond Crabtree and Maclin, there isn't a WR in this draft I'd waste a first-round pick on.
Unless someone of great value falls into their lap...

Well, that's exactly what happened. A player that should have gone in the top 10 dropped right into the Eagles' lap, and they jumped up to get him (for only a 6th-round pick.) With Ayers, Moreno, and English already gone, Maclin was easily the best player on the board and the best fit for the Eagles.

Still need a RB bad. Someone like Cedric Peerman in the 2nd? I can't imagine that either Brown, Wells, or McCoy will be available when they pick.

No-brainer

Reports are surfacing that the Cardinals have reduced their demands for Anquan Boldin to something in the neighborhood of a second-round pick. If these reports are true, Boldin goes from a "nice-to-have" to a no-brainer pick-up. Even more so because the Giants will snatch him if we don't, and I don't want to play the guy twice a year.

I start with a second, a fifth, and Reggie Brown. I'd go as high as a second and a fourth, and maybe I'd even do a second and a third. Imagine coming out of this weekend with Knowshon Moreno and Anquan Boldin...that's a good draft all by itself.

I give the Eagles a lot of rope, because they've demonstrated success with their personnel decisions in the past. But if they don't get this done, and the Giants get Boldin for anything less than two second-round picks, I won't be making any excuses. You really want to win a Super Bowl? Make this move now, Joe Banner. If you don't, you suck.

Eagles Draft Preview

So what will the Eagles do with their first-round pick on Saturday? Analysis on each of the options:

• Trade it for Anquan Boldin - My guess here is that the package would include a 5th-rounder and Reggie Brown as well. I'd take this outcome happily, as Boldin is going to have a bigger immediate impact than anyone the Eagles could pick at 21, but I'm not wetting myself over the prospect. Playcalling and McNabb's accuracy are the two biggest problems with this offense, and a stud WR won't fix either one. Still, once the Giants trade for Braylon Edwards, there's going to be a lot of pressure for the Eagles to match them.
  
• Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia - Easily the best RB in the draft. Not a game-changing talent, but a solid, complete back who can block and catch passes as well as run effectively. Could complement/replace Westbrook more capably than any other prospect. He's a top-15 talent who could very well be gone by the time they pick, but only a few teams above the Eagles need a RB bad enough to take one in the first round.
  
• Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee - Another DE? Yes. The Eagles have a glut of 'pretty good' ends, but they could really use a great one to bookend with Trent Cole. Ayers has more potential to be that guy than anyone. Matured late, so there's not a lot of tape on him, but he was dominating at the Senior Bowl. Give him two years and he'll be the clear starter, with Pro Bowl possibilities. Another top-15 talent, but without huge sack production or mind-blowing measurables, he may slip to the Eagles. The number of teams switching to 3-4 defenses may help him slide as well.
  
• Brandon Pettigrew, TE, OkSt - As the best TE prospect in the draft, he's receiving a lot of attention in mocks as a potential Eagle. Frankly, I don't see it. He had one - one - TD catch his senior year on a team that scored a billion points. I'm not taking a TE in the first round unless he dominated in college, and I don't think the Eagles will either.
  
• Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut - As far as a fit with the Eagles' offense, he's the second-best back. Could probably trade down 5 slots and still get him, if there are any takers.
  
• Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois - An absolutely dominant pass-rusher in college with strong measurables. At 274 lbs, he's got the size to play DE on first and second down and could possibly switch inside on third. Needs to spend some time in the weight room (only 24 reps) but that's easily fixed.
  
• Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut - With DeSean Jackson assuming full-time #1WR duties, don't expect him to be returning kicks as often as he did last year. That would make Butler a possibility, who not only has the skills to become an elite corner, but would make an immediate impact in the return game as well. Sheldon's Brown insane rumblings (the guy is 30, never been to a Pro Bowl, has 14 career picks, and thinks someones going to pay him more than $5/year? dream on) only increase the chance of a high pick being used on a corner.
  

Notice the position conspicuous by its absence on this list - WR. Beyond Crabtree and Maclin, there isn't a WR in this draft I'd waste a first-round pick on. There are lots of top-of-the-second-round talents like Kenny Britt, Hakeem Nicks, and Percy Harvin that would be useful, but don't expect the Eagles to reach for any of them early. Unless someone of great value falls into their lap, expect them to take a mid-round WR who can contribute in the return game (Derrick Williams, maybe?)