Halo 3

On Tuesday, the much anticipated third installment of the Halo series was released for XBOX 360. I’m here to offer some initial reactions.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had much of an opportunity to explore the multiplayer features yet. Instead, my roommate and I have been working our way through the campaign.

The story picks up where the second left off, with Master Chief returning to Earth to continue his fight against the Covenant. Playing mostly as second player, I took the role of the Arbiter (a former covenant official converted to the good side), who often is the main target of Alien forces (Grunt yelling “Help, it’s the Arbiter!).

Visually, the game is not much different than Halo 2. The graphics are tweaked for the 360, but the gameplay and feel are virtually identical. This was kind of a letdown for me. I enjoyed the crisp, clean feel of Halo 1 and personally felt that the graphics of Halo 2 (and now Halo 3) were muddled (admittedly, I’m not a true gamer).

The first thing I was impressed by as we went through the campaign was the intelligence of the alien forces. They would develop strategies, attempt to flank, and change positions. On occasions when we had to start a level over, we found that the enemy would be in different formations, making it impossible to simply memorize a level and mow your way through it. There are also some cool added features such as the addition of an item button that allows you to deploy collectible equipment such as a Gravity Lift or Bubble Shield.

The problem is that the human forces that often run alongside the Master Chief are as dumb as the alien forces are smart. I can’t tell you how often I was hit by a grenade thrown by my own men.

It wasn’t until well into the first level that the game was truly put to the test and I stumbled upon a pistol. My fingers trembled as I traded out my plasma rifle and reloaded the weapon. This was the moment that would make or break this game. I pushed B to zoom…Noooo!!! Lo and Behold, I couldn’t shoot the pistol while zoomed in. Damn you, Bungie. You blew it again.

I realize I’m biased. There are many Halo 2 lovers out there who think it’s fun to dual wield a couple of assault rifles, run out in the open and shoot at each other till one player dies. And I can tell you why these people love Halo 2: because they sucked at Halo 1. Because they have no concept of strategy, lack the finesse and fine motor skills necessary to perfect the art of the pistol’s three shot potency, and have found their means of revenge in a fully automatic melee.

Like I said, I haven’t played much multiplayer yet. There is a map editing tool and a match moderation feature known as the Forge (don’t really understand what this means yet). Also, you have the option to record your battles. This could come in handy when I jump down on some unsuspecting fool and slap him in the back of the head. Maybe these features will make multiplayer in Halo 3 really cool.

But I doubt it.

Thanks for reading.

PS I responded to some of yesterday's comments, if you want to check it out. No post tomorrow. I'll be golfing Hazeltine.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Raving Lunatic or PR Mastermind?

I’m sure by now we’re all familiar with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (maybe too familiar). It feels like he dominates the news. Whether it be accusations that he is sponsoring terrorism and fighting a proxy war in Iraq, his denials of the Holocaust as fact and refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist, or most recently, his speaking engagement at Columbia University and request to be allowed to visit the sight of the World Trade Center (to place a wreath and pay his respects), the man is a lightning rod for controversy.

So the question I ask is this: is Ahmadinejad the psychotic, illogical and “tyrannical dictator” that he often comes across as, or is he the clever, crafty PR man I suspect him to be?

Surely his ill-advised pursuit of a nuclear program, which thus far has only served to isolate him and his country, places him in the same sphere of delusion as Kim Jong Il. His stance that the Holocaust is a “theory that requires more research” is so absurd that it’s hard to even argue with. He denies that homosexuals live in Iran. His human rights abuses against women and dissidents (there have been over 300 political executions since January) are despicable. Plus, he’s a terrible government official. Economically, Iran is in shambles despite it’s location in the oil-rich Middle East. He’s fallen out of favor with the poor class that elected him. His bombastic rhetoric has become somewhat of a running (though hushed) joke in academic circles.

But the very fact that we pay him so much attention shows that A) we have very little understanding of how the politics of Iran work, and B) Ahmadinejad is a mastermind of self promotion.

Allow me to address these points in order. The truth of it is, Ahmadinejad has limited influence, almost no power, and the fact that we place so much emphasis on him only serves to increase his stature. The presidency in Iran is very different than it is in the US. The effective head of Iran’s political establishment is the Supreme Leader (currently Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), who serves a dual political and religious role. He is backed by a group of mullahs (the Islamic clergy).

The president can influence governmental proceedings by choosing members of parliament and appointing mayors, but ultimately has little say beyond this. The Supreme Leader controls the armed forces, makes final decisions on policy and law, and it is only with his approval that the president can operate at all. Even the much ballyhooed nuclear program falls inside the Supreme Leader’s scope (despite what Ahmadinejad would have the rest of the world believe).

So how has Ahmadinejad managed to manifest a persona as the all powerful, dangerous leader of a terroristic country? By spreading suspicion, confusion, fear and anger, and letting the media do the leg work for him. By making outrageous assertions with bold rhetoric (ie the Holocaust as myth, vows to destroy the west), he plays on our sympathies and our nightmares. By acting as the public face of Iran’s nuclear program, he projects the image that it’s his nuclear program.

Every time he’s allowed to address the UN, every time we play a clip of him on CNN, every time someone like Lee Bollinger (the president of Columbia University) accuses him of being a “petty dictator” (a leader with no power can hardly be called a dictator), we inflate this power in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of his people.

Meanwhile, the true rulers of Iran can act with immunity in obscurity. They can continue to oppress women and dissidents. They can continue to use their Revolutionary Guards to spread mayhem in Iraq. They can continue enriching uranium. As long as Ahmadenijad is the voice and face of evil, as long the west believes that he is the man calling the shots in Iran, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his mullahs will escape unscathed (truth be told, I don’t even know what the Grand Ayatollah looks like).

It would be easy enough to get rid of Ahmadinejad. He has already succeeded in marginalizing himself by falling out of favor with the people who elected him. These people are the true victims of Ahmadinejad’s tense relations with the west. UN sanctions against Iran have ravaged an already poverty stricken people, and economically the country has gone to hell. Iranians are, generally speaking, highly educated people and it’s safe to assume they won’t put up with oppression silently.

If the US would get smart and start ignoring Ahmadinejad like the harmless nuisance that he is, in turn applying some pressure to the Grand Ayatollah, the man would disappear. He would no longer be of any use. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a puppet with a Ph.D. in traffic management, and could easily be replaced.

But first we would have to get smart…on foreign policy. When will that happen? Your guess is as good as mine.

Thanks for reading.

Reactions

Wowzers! (I felt that a simple wow didn't do justice to the number of comments...) A lot of action in the last couple of days. I apologize if I seem reactionary, but I’m going to dedicate today’s post to responding to some of the many ideas and topics being bounced around.

P Corcs, you're right to say that it is extreme hyperbole to compare Guantanamo to a concentration camp. I’m by no means trying to demean or downplay anything that happened to the Jewish population during WWII. I used the comparison to illustrate a point, and I think, in this regard, the comparison serves its purpose. What I'm getting at is the fact that we can't afford to assume our leaders are moral or that America's actions will always be just. As you yourself pointed out, the majority of the Germans were oblivious to the realities of the Nazi Party because the only information they received was filtered through Hitler and his cronies. Can anyone say for certain that we aren’t just as naïve? Once again, I’m aware that I’m exaggerating the situation, and the media largely ensures that a mass delusion to this extent will never happen again. But remember journalists are human beings influenced by external factors and we must always take these eternal influences into account.

For myself, I would much rather error on the side of boldness, even if it means being proven wrong, than be naïve to the realities of the world around us. I know that you all would too.

Good work on the 13 comment find. Your application for Zizzle-Zot Historian is being carefully considered...and has now been made accepted. I’ll figure out a way in the next couple of days to make it official… I imagine we’ll need a picture with you in a scholarly lounge, with a pipe, wearing a smoking jacket and a monocle (sounds like Clue).

Mr. Helgen, a most sincere welcome to Zizzle-Zot, etc. I believe I speak for everyone when I say we’ve enjoyed your thoughts and insights into the discussions. Don’t worry about “hijacking” the comments section. It’s good to hear as many sides to a debate as possible, and I know all the readers appreciate having another mind to bounce ideas around. Thanks for bringing that Daily Show episode to our attention. I just went online and watched the clip with the author of “Merchant of Death,” Douglas Farah.

You all can check it out here:

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=102765&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=/shows/the_daily_show/videos/most_recent/index.jhtml%3Fstart%3D16&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true

You have to watch an annoying commercial with Missy “Misdemeanor” (is she still called that?) Elliott first. Apologies. But it really is worth it.

That said, I’m the self-nominated and elected president of the “Nicholas Cage Haters Club.” Unless we’re talking about Adaptation (but Face Off? Come on.).

Cassel, Mr. Antagonist was right to say the US is doing very little to capture Victor Bout. We do use him for behind-the-scenes arms deals, and he’s been contracted to transport UN officials, US diplomats, (and according to the previously mentioned Daily Show interview, frozen chickens), etc. The US didn't even issue the arrest warrant (Interpol did). Plus, it would be the start of a political nightmare to try and get him out of Russia.

It’s interesting, because the current administration has spent the last 7 years trying to make every issue black and white, Good vs. Evil, us vs. them. This is just one of countless situations where, in reality, there are many shades of grey.

This leads to the “moral authority” debate, but this post is already getting long and I’m not ready to touch it right now. Maybe in the future…

To give you a sneak preview of the next couple of days: Yesterday Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University. Today he'll address the United Nations. Tomorrow I’ll offer some thoughts on these events. Look also for a review for Halo 3 (assuming I can carve out some time to get my game on), and I’ve been bouncing around some theories on morphing.

Thanks for reading.

PS Zizzle-Zot, etc. fully endorses Epic Duels as the best game ever created. Maybe I'll make a poll...

People of Note: Victor Bout

Also known as “The Merchant of Death,” Victor Bout is a notorious Russian arms dealer who illegally provides weapons and military equipment to the highest bidders throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East.

Bouts origins are somewhat mysterious. It is believed that he was born in 1967 to two Russian parents, but his actual birthplace is disputed (he is sometimes listed as Ukrainian in descent). At some point he joined the Russian military (it is not known when) and worked as a navigator, eventually expanding his duties to include the training of Air Force commando troops.

In 1991 Bout graduated from Moscow’s Military Institute after studying foreign languages (he is reputedly fluent in at least six, including Russian, English, French, Portuguese and Uzbek) and went to work as a translator for the Russian Army. This didn’t last, however, as the base where he was stationed was dissolved following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Bout and his colleagues were out of work, but not for long. The enterprising Bout was highly trained, had access to military equipment and possessed a rolodex full of international contacts.

Bout started by founding the Transavia Export Cargo Company, aiding Belgian soldiers in Somalia. In exchange for a cut of the profits, the GRU (Russia’s intelligence branch) loaned Bout three Antonov airplanes. He used these aircraft to supply the Islamic State of Afghanistan (known now as the Northern Alliance) with ammunition and weapons, making an alleged $50 million. With this money he founded the Trans Aviation Network Group in Belgium.

In 1995 the Taliban drove the Islamic State of Afghanistan out of Kabul. This didn’t stop Bout. No, he had just found a new customer in the Taliban. Around this time word of Bout’s shady empire reached the Belgian government, and they started to investigate. He was forced to move his operation to the United Arab Emirates, where he founded Air Cess.

He used Air Cess to supply African conflicts with “thousands upon thousands of assault rifles, grenade launchers, bullets and other weapons,” according to UN officials. His dealings extended to conflicts in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Charles Taylor’s regime in Liberia, Libya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland and Uganda.

Former British Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain, the man who invented the nickname “Merchant of Death,” has said this of Bout: “Bout is the leading merchant of death who is the principal conduit for planes and supply routes that take arms, including heavy military equipment, from East Europe, principally Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine, to Liberia and Angola. The UN has exposed Bout as the center of a spider’s web of shady arms dealers, diamond brokers, and other operatives, sustaining wars. Without someone like him we would be much, much closer to ending the conflicts. If there was ever a man for the US to assassinate, he is that man.”

Over the years Bout has built a large network of contacts in both business and politics. This fact, along with his carefully disguised dealings and his constant movement, has made it difficult for authorities to build a case against him. In 2002 he was finally formally charged and warrants were issued for his arrest. He moved to Russia where he remains protected by the Russian Constitution, which doesn’t allow for the extradition of citizens to foreign countries.

Victor Bout is still at large.

Thanks for reading.

A Moral Test: Would We Pass?

I’m shocked and amazed, Zizzle-Zotians. Yesterday’s post garnered 11 comments, which I’m pretty sure is a new record. Good work.

I had originally planned a humorous little article today, a playful jab at the entertainment industry, but it will have to wait. As I read through the discussion on yesterday’s post I see some fascinating ideas, and would really like to keep the conversation going. So if you all don’t mind…

First off, welcome to Zizzle-Zot, etc., Mr. Antagonist. It’s always good to hear a new voice and a different perspective, and you have thus far been a great addition to the blog (any guesses to Mr. Antagonist’s real identity? I have no idea.)

P Corcs, thanks for initially bringing some historical perspective on the plight of the German people leading up to the rise of the Nazi Party. It’s really important to keep this perspective in mind when we are trying to understand how people could let anything like the Holocaust happen.

I'm familiar with the Milgram experiment that Mr. Antagonist mentioned. It demonstrates an interesting side of the human character. Another one to look at is the Stanford Prison Experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment. Tests like these shows that normal, “good” people, put in certain circumstances, will to some extent lose sight of morality and ethics.

I like your analogy of the fight, Mr. Antagonist. I, too, typically see myself opening up a can even though I have only been in one fight, when I was 12, and I lost.

The question this brings to the surface is: would we really have the courage to stand up to a force as powerful as Hitler when he has already indoctrinated our friends, our families, everyone around us? Would we ignore the threats of death to stand up for what we believe to be right? Speaking for myself, I'm not so sure. In my idealist vision of myself as the heroic figure of my own life story, of course I'd like to think that I would bravely defy an empire.

Maybe I would, in fact, be morally against Hitler and the Nazis, but would my resistance amount to anything more than apathy? Would I ever take action?

The truth is, my courage has never been tested (at least not to this extent). Very few people have had their courage, their moral fiber, put to the test in such extreme circumstances, and I can comfortably assume that no one reading this blog has. So how can we KNOW that we would be willing or able to make the sacrifice necessary to aide the Jews in defiance of the Nazis?

Werd brings up the argument that as people of faith we would have the fortitude to stand against an evil empire. I’m not totally convinced. Remember that the Pope and the Catholic Church failed miserably in this regard (and have been apologizing ever since). Remember that for a good part of America’s history Christians condoned slavery. We can all think of countless examples where Christians have failed in the face of evil. I don’t think Christianity necessarily guarantees moral courage.

Please respond to these preliminary thoughts. I look forward to the discussion…

Thanks for reading.

Auschwitz Photo Album

If you check out this link: http://www.ushmm.org/, (hurry up, I heard they’ll only be posted for this week) you’ll find a newly released collection of photos taken at the Auschwitz concentration camp in the summer and fall of 1944, just a short time before the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.

These photos comprise only the second collection of pre-liberation photos taken at the camp. What makes them different from the original collection is the subject matter. The original photos depict the arrival of a transport of Hungarian Jews to the camp in the spring of 1944, and are mostly of Auschwitz prisoners. The new photos are from a scrapbook maintained by Karl Hocker, adjutant to the camp commandant (essentially the second in command). They depict senior Auschwitz officers in their daily lives, in times of leisure and recreation.

The collection was donated by a former US Army Intelligence Officer (it was his wish to remain anonymous – he has since passed away) who was stationed in Germany in 1946 while investigating suspected Nazi perpetrators. He found the photos in an abandoned apartment in Frankfurt and brought them home.

What is most disturbing about these pictures is their humanity. They were taken as the end of WWII approached and the fall of the Nazi empire was imminent. This was a time when the gas chambers were operating at maximum efficiency; the final, frenzied efforts by the Nazi party to eliminate Europe’s Jewish population before they were defeated. That summer the crematoriums broke down from overuse and bodies were burned in open pits.

Yet the men and women in these photos, Auschwitz officers and operational staff, gather for a sing along, accompanied by an accordion. They feign dismay that their blueberries are gone.

These are murderers with no conscience. But do they look any different than you or I?

Amongst these photos you’ll find images of Josef Mengele, the camp physician notorious for his bizarre and cruel medical experiments. These are first authenticated pictures of Dr. Mengele at Auschwitz. You’ll find famed SS Officer and Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss, later executed for war crimes. You’ll find immortalized images of men and women smiling, laughing, happily living comfortable lives as millions are suffering unimaginable deaths in the buildings next door.

Let these images be forever emblazoned on your memory. Never forget the victims of the Nazi regime, or the survivors. Never forget that such atrocities were carried out by men and women not so very different from the rest of us.

And let’s make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Thanks for reading

The Jack Daniel’s Distillery

The Jack Daniel’s Distillery is located in tiny Lynchburg, Tennessee (population 361), about an hour southeast of Nashville. Licensed in 1866, it is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and has been certified as a National Historic Site.

Of course I didn’t know any of this as we approached the birthplace of Old No. 7. I just found it odd that the majesty of a distillery left me in awe as we pulled into the parking lot. Quaint brick and wood buildings, bronze statues commemorating Mr. Jack, and cobblestone bridges dot the rolling hills, intersected by a spring fed stream – the secret ingredient in Jack Daniel’s Whiskey (but let’s keep that between us. Wink.).

I laughed to myself when our old prospector tour guide revealed that they have never bothered to find the origin of this spring, instead buying up all the land in the area to avoid pollution. I suspect that the fact that this particular fresh spring water is a necessity to making Old Tennessee Whiskey is the only thing keeping the distillery in Lynchburg County, which has been dry since the prohibition. Even now I am saddened when I think about the lost revenue from all those tourists craving a taste of Jack after the tour.

The visitor center held an exhibit offering the complete history of Jack (Jasper Newton Daniel) and the whiskey. He was born in Lynchburg in 1850, one of 13 children in a poor rural family. At the age of seven he was hired to work for Dan Call, a Lutheran Minister who moonlighted as a whiskey maker. Over the next several years Jack learned everything there was to know about the trade, and at the age of 13 bought Call’s still when increasing pressure from his parishioners persuaded Call to focus on his ministry and abandon his moonshine.

Jack went on to perfect the charcoal mellowing process which to this day gives Jack Daniel’s Whiskey its smooth texture and unique taste. The popularity of his whiskey soared as his abilities were refined, and in 1904 his Old No. 7 Tennessee sipping whiskey was honored as the best on earth at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. Jack became a distinguished gentleman, popular with the ladies, throwing lavish parties, wearing the finest clothes. His distillery became a landmark, and his whiskey became a household name.

My traveling companions and I arrived at the distillery just in time to make it on the 7th tour of the day, which is free in honor of Old No. 7. Our tour guide, Old Bill, was a bull of a man that you would expect to see rocking on the front porch with a bottle of booze in his hand and a shotgun on his lap. His shape reminded me of Mr. Potato Head. His grizzled beard, hardened face, worn knuckles, faded overalls, and undecipherable dialect were all distinctly southern. As he cracked during the tour, “I bet you all thought they learned me to talk this way.” They hadn’t. Old Bill was the real deal, born, raised and destined to die in the dirty south.

By the end of the tour we could have been expert whiskey makers. We saw the ingredients (corn, barley and rye) mixed together to form sour mash – so called because the process, which uses a small portion of the previous batch to make the next, is similar to making sourdough bread. We were overwhelmed with the beautifully nauseating scent of pure grain alcohol as it was extracted from the mash. We watched as it leisurely trickled though ten feet of hard-packed sugar maple charcoal in the mellowing process – once in the case of Old No. 7, twice for Gentlemen Jack. We walked through the warehouses storing the whiskey while it ages in barrels made of charred American White Oak, allowing the liquor to breathe as the pores of the wood expand and contract with the temperature. This process gives Jack its smoky flavor and amber tint.

Old Bill, always the entertainer, had a punch-line prepared as we left each room. Whether they be self-depreciating cracks about his beard or sly references to drinking on the job (said with a grin and a wink), they served as bookmarks, signifying the end of one experience and the beginning of another. I wonder if he lived life outside of the distillery the same way, leaping from one place to another with an exclamatory statement and a twitch of the nose. I wonder if I could. Sure, I wouldn’t be able to live any one moment to its fullest, but I would definitely be remembered. In the end isn’t that all we can ask for?

In 1905 Jack Daniel went to the office early one morning and attempted to open his safe. Not able to remember the combination, he kicked the hard steel in a fit of frustration and anger. He broke his toe, and before long infection set in. Bit by bit his leg was amputated till he finally died of blood poisoning in 1911. It’s poetic, really. One of the founding fathers of passionate drunken rage dying from a fit of passionate (drunken?) rage.

After the tour we were all ready to put our newfound whiskey aficionado status to the test, sipping whiskey on the rocks, letting the thick liquid wash over our tongues as we mused on the subtle differences between Old No. 7 and the prestigious Single Barrel. Too bad we were still in dry Lynchburg County. We settled for lukewarm pizza from the Bar-B-Que Caboose to hold us over till we could escape that buzz-killing speck on the map.

Thanks for reading.