All posts by Kit

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Seriously, the Democrats Should Nominate Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, or Anyone With Charisma

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One of the big problems with the Democratic Party is that they want to win arguments and not elections. But in the American electoral system, you must first win elections.

I look at the Presidental candidates the Democrats have run and who have lost, and they have something in common – they are policy wonks. They’re the people you bring out when you want to win an argument. They line up facts and figures, they respond to their opponent’s substance and appeal to reason. In my lifetime, they’ve included charisma-free candidates such as Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton.

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Bicycling, Personal

Fuck Electric Cars

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Let me explain. I ride my bicycle between 4000 and 5000 miles each year. That’s not even counting my ebike, which I use for as many errands as I can, which accounts for another five hundred to six hundred miles a year.

I was reading this content-free article from “cleantechnica”.com where they assert without a shred of, y’know, proof that electric cars are better than gasoline-powered cars. Is it true that e-cars are better than gas cars in terms of energy efficiency? Honestly, I don’t know, but I also don’t care. Like the oil industry, the e-car industry is doing it’s dead-level best to obscure the pass-through pollution – the total pollution the vehicle generates from the manufacture, use, and disposal – it creates.

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Personal

To MxR Plays About Jukin Media, or Get Yourselves a Lawdog, Dudes

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Dear MxR Plays,

I’m going to say something to you that I doubt you’ve heard very much. In your dispute with Jukin Media, you’re screwed.

The essence of why you’re screwed is clear. You have no idea what fair use is. Let me break it down. Fair use is when you excerpt a portion of someone’s work in a transformational manner. It’s an inherently dodgy concept, I grant, but it breaks down into four things: that your use is a parody, educational, critical, or for research. While there are considerable blurry areas, there are also lots of clear ones, too. To my eyes, you’re not near the line, guys.

Continue reading To MxR Plays About Jukin Media, or Get Yourselves a Lawdog, Dudes →

Personal, Writing

Angry, Rant-y Blog Posts Activate!

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I’m going to try to get back into blogging because… why not? I know I suck at it – not in the sense of what I write is poorly written but in the sense that a blog full of a dude’s angry ranting isn’t something people want to read. Yet, a writer must write, and writing is best served writing what you know.

I know angry rants. So, write on!

Personal, Video Games

YouTube now thinks I’m a sexist jerk because I watch video game reviews

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I’ve been sick with bronchitis the past couple of weeks – which is a growing and uncomfortable health trend of mine, that every cold turns into bronchitis – which has allowed an interesting picture into the world of video gaming and sexism.

I’ve been watching more YouTube than I should. It comes in easily digestible chunks and much of it is easy to follow. And, honestly, I don’t care if I follow it. Mainly, I watch videos about bicycling, professional wrestling, comedy, and bicycling. However, since I’m sick, I’ve been keeping track of the unfolding disaster that is Fallout 76, plus some other videos by presenters who I found amusing.

Continue reading YouTube now thinks I’m a sexist jerk because I watch video game reviews →

Witches vs Werewolves, Writing

Witches vs. Nazis Chapter 1

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Like it says on the tin: chapter one of Witches vs. Nazis, which is my current project. It’s awesome. I’m awesome. The witches are the good guys. And, yeah, I’m saying that the Patriarchy is demonic. I’m comfortable with that!

Witches vs. Nazis
by Kit Bradley
All rights reserved 2018

Chapter One

I.

Christmas Eve in the National Socialist Empire of America: a great festival where the twisted cross rose above the altar of the Kristr. In Yton, one of the greatest cities of the NSEA, the Orville Wright Stadium was full of blond, blue-eyed, pale faces in the stands, while the Untermenschen fought for their amusement. There were thirty thousand packed into the stands with the white and red decorations of Christmastime everywhere. The lights were bright on the dome overhead, buried deep in the arco. Typically, most of the seats would be regular people – middle class, save for a few seats high up – but today it was all high-ranking Nazis with their families.

Continue reading Witches vs. Nazis Chapter 1 →

Bicycling, Personal

Discomfort Grotto – a Bicycling Post!

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I am working to post positive stuff! For the past year or more, I haven’t posted because I find I’m doing a ton of personal care because of the fucking news. The news is like a vile music of the spheres – it’s everywhere, unavoidable, but makes you a worse person because you feel like crap all the time. So, I’m killing the news in my life as much as I can, including trying to keep news and political talk and posts to an absolute minimum. Honestly, more unites us as Americans and humans than divides us. I’d instead focus on that.

I haven’t done a post on bicycle riding in a while, so let’s go! I also want to become better at bragging. Why? Because I’m fucking awesome!

Continue reading Discomfort Grotto – a Bicycling Post! →

Personal, Pro Wrestling, Rockstar Pro

Don’t Stop Believing iPPV from Rockstar Pro Wrestling!

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My wife and I just came back from the Rockstar Pro wrestling iPPV event “Don’t Stop Believing.” This is my thoughts on the show.

I can’t make it a proper review because this is only the second Rockstar Pro event I’ve been to. Which means that the storylines are still opaque to me. I’m not even 100% sure who’s a regular to the promotion and who they brought in for their monthly PPV. Noob I am.

The big picture: my wife and I enjoyed the wrestling. Also, seeing something live means you’re seeing it differently. We were in the front row, too, so we got a bunch of it up close and personal. At one point, I was asked to hand a wrestler a chair. I, of course, did, because why wouldn’t I?

Additionally, it wasn’t an arena filled with ten thousand people. There is an intimacy involved in small venues, as anyone who listens to live music knows. You are there. With them. With bigger shows, you’re not even a face in the crowd – you’re a smear and a susurration.  You are anonymous and faceless.  Not so here.

I say this because good wrestling up close is far, far better than highly-produced wrestling seen at a distance. That must be mentioned. I found in a small wrestling venue that the immediate impact on all my senses was more intense than I imagined it would be. The sharp harmonics when someone was slammed on the mat, the crack of chest slaps, the meaty thud when two bodies collided. The spray of sweat, wrestlers spitting blood. Sure, there was no jumbotron, no pyrotechnics, but I’m well past the point of being dazzled by gunpowder and “bigness.”

Seriously, if you like wrestling, go see a show in a small venue.

Perhaps later on, when I have a better handle on the characters and storylines, I’ll go into more detail about the events.  Right now, I do not think I would do them justice.  I would certainly like to thank Rockstar Pro and all the wrestlers for putting on a fine performance. It’s a hard, painful, dangerous profession. These men and women put their bodies on the line to give us joy and I respect the hell out of that.

Also, whenever Fulton comes out, for crying out loud, let’s start changing “blood and souls.” Respect the Star of Chaos!

Uncategorized

Skunky cologne company Old Spice makes D&D 3.5 character class – no, really!

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Old Spice has created a D&D 3.5 character class. I read about it in a news story, which seemed surprised that Old Spice should do such a thing.

As I watch my beard turn white, though, I often find myself thinking, “I bet tabletop games could do well in retirement communities.” The people who started playing D&D in the late 70s and early 80s are nearing retirement age. Almost every gamer has fond memories of all-night sessions, but most players stopped playing as adult commitments – family, a career – filled their time.

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Video Games

Thoughts on bad writing in video games using Rise of the Tomb Raider as a starting point

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I’ve been under the weather, so I played through Rise of the Tomb Raider to pass the time rather than dwelling on how awful I’ve felt. It made me think about why writing for video games is so bad.

Don’t get me wrong: Rise of the Tomb Raider is an excellent game. While I’ll be using it for purposes of illustration, because I’ve just played it, many games commit far worse literary sins than Rise of the Tomb Raider. There will be spoilers under the cut to illustrate my various points about the awful writing in video games.

Continue reading Thoughts on bad writing in video games using Rise of the Tomb Raider as a starting point →