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After Okami (I can’t recommend that game enough, it’s right up there with Zelda Windwaker & Twilight Princess in terms of gameplay and depth) and besides Hold’em Poker, there have been some other games I’ve been playing more. A few weeks ago I went to play in a homegame in Amsterdam to play Hold’em but we ended up playing Monopoly and Go! For stakes of course. Every match was handicapped. My odds on Go weren’t that good since I’m new to the game but managed to tie two best out of 5 matches.

Also in cardgames I’ve been playing a lot more Omaha online. I don’t play or like Razz games as much these days, maybe it’s because I like Hold’em strategy better. It leaves more room for creativity and psychological flexibility.

Some final random thoughts: Since paragliding in France last week was so much fun, I’ve bought a Wii Fit as a sort of visual reminder to go out and exercise. Oh, and Capcom needs to make an Okami sequel.

A few words to people using iTunes. Since most of us skip reading the license agreement and hit the ‘I Agree’ button without questioning what’s written in there, I took the liberty to highlight some interesting parts from the mighty Apple License Agreement:

10. Export Control. You may not use or otherwise export or reexport the Apple Software except as authorized by United States law and the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Apple Software was obtained. In particular, but without limitation, the Apple Software may not be exported or re-exported (a) into any U.S. embargoed countries or (b) to anyone on the U.S. Treasury Department list of Specially Designated Nationals or the U.S. Department of Commerce Denied Person’s List or Entity List. You also agree that you will not use these products for any purposes prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture or production of missiles, or nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

So you have found a way to create nuclear weapons with your copy of iTunes, please don’t.

Without limiting the foregoing, under no circumstances shall 3Com be held liable for any delay or failure in performance resulting directly or indirectly from acts of nature, forces, or causes beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, Internet failures, computer equipment failures, telecommunication equipment failures, other equipment failures, electrical power failures, strikes, labor disputes, riots, insurrections, civil disturbances, shortages of labor or materials, fires, floods, storms, explosions, acts of God, war, governmental actions, orders of domestic or foreign courts or tribunals, non-performance of third parties, or loss of or fluctuations in heat, light, or air conditioning.

Also, you cannot sue 3Com (which apparently has something to do with iTunes) if God for some reason decides to interfere with the operation of your copy of iTunes. For those still not sure, 3Com is not above God, cannot control the weather, is not liable if their equipment breaks down and if for some reason their employees aren’t happy and decide to go on a strike, that’s not their fault either. In other words, if you can find something they can be sued on, you must be God. I wonder where Allah or any other deity stands in this whole story. Would Buddha sabotage your copy of iTunes?

For those interested, here is a page filled with rules and regulations for those night you just can’t catch your sleep.

Look. And this is pretty much common sense as I see it. You can believe in whichever god you choose, I’m not going to stop you. But I can personally question it, can’t I? Can’t I debate with someone about their faith? You may call me whatever you wish for not believing the way you believe, but then please allow me to retort, ask you why you feel this way and explain my take on it. Not that I’d waste that much time on that but let’s talk hypothetically.

Any subject that concerns the people of a village, town, city, country or cave, should be up for public debate. That seems like common sense, doesn’t it? Just like when the company you’re working for decides to cut your wage, you should be able to discuss this with your co-workers, with management, hell, even with you’re dog if you feel like it. Spill your guts, tell people how you feel about it. After all, this impacts your life. Any change in society impacts your life in some way. Some changes have a bigger impact than others but in any case, you should be able to have an opinion about whatever you wish, and be allowed to voice your opinion.

I think it was once called ‘freedom of speech’. But at its current rate of erosion, the next generation will not be able to comprehend what it was like, to be able to say whatever was on your mind.

The UN Counsil doesn’t appear to agree;

Pakistan Daily Times Article, June 19th 2008:

GENEVA: Muslim countries have won a battle to prevent Islam from being criticised during debates by the UN Human Rights Council. Religions deserve special protection because any debate about faith is bound to be “very complex, very sensitive and very intense”, council President Doru-Romulus Costea said Wednesday.

In this article from Radio Netherlands, our prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende is said to agree with the latter of the following two views of freedom of speech:

1. unlimited freedom of expression
2. the judicious limiting of freedom of expression in not always saying what one thinks

So sometimes you can say what’s on your mind, but other times you’ll get arrested when you do so. That is not freedom of speech. Here my take:

1. total freedom of speech
2. no freedom of speech

I choose the former over the latter and I think people should be stimulated to speak their minds about things they’re concerned about. The only side-effect is that people might get insulted. And people who are insulted are faced with a different opinion than their own and find it hard to accept as a valid viewpoint. I think people who can’t welcome a difference of opinion are a lot more dangerous than the people who speak their mind. And that’s the way I feel about it.

You can agree with it and you can disagree with it. If you want to debate with me about it, my e-mail address is on the right hand side of this page. After all, this is still a free country. Or at least I’d like to think so.

And I think our prime minister is a spineless, narrow-minded asshole, any Muslim who thinks it’s okay to kill a woman because of ‘honour’ should experience castration by scorpions and any Jehova’s Witness who thinks they can get me to join their fruity little club will find themselves having a hard time. Because I can.

After the May 1st crash when silver and gold were respectively $16.11 and $848.90 a share, they’re slowly climbing back. Although gold closed at over $900 last friday, it was $870 before the previous weekend.

Gold Price Close Today : 884.80
Gold Price Close Last Friday: 900.40
Change: -16.50 or -1.8%

Silver Price Close Today : 16.780
Silver Price Close Last Friday: 17.387
Change: 60 cents or -3.5%

US Dollar Index Today: 73.46
US Dollar Index Last Friday: 73.053
Change: 0.41 or 0.6%

The UK Telegraph reported:

“The Royal Bank of Scotland has advised clients to brace for a full-fledged crash in global stock and credit markets over the next three months as inflation paralyses the major central banks.

“A very nasty period is soon to be upon us - be prepared,” said Bob Janjuah, the bank’s credit strategist.

A report by the bank’s research team warns that the S&P 500 index of Wall Street equities is likely to fall by more than 300 points to around 1050 by September as “all the chickens come home to roost” from the excesses of the global boom, with contagion spreading across Europe and emerging markets.

Such a slide on world bourses would amount to one of the worst bear markets over the last century.”

So yeah. Bad sign. I haven’t heard any fat lady sing though.

I was watching the New Zealand Poker Champions 08 game, and I noticed something (besides the obviously baby-sized prizemoney compared to the big US tournaments, they’re still getting started :).. Jesus approves of poker! Gamblers DO get into heaven! :D And I almost gave up hope!

I can finally dust off my jesus-chips!

My submission for the “Loves” Challenge from Fray @ Threadless.com.