Over the past two decades, naval vessels belonging to the feuding states of North and South Korea have often exchanged blows along their hotly contested, and often arbitrary, sea border. Like two petulant children in detention, North and South Korean ships shoot spitwads at each other from accross the room and then firmly deny it when the teacher comes around, even though the evidence is often still stuck to their faces. When the South Korean ship, the "Cheonan," exploded and sank near the water border, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak showed an admirable amount of restraint. Instead of pointing his finger to the North, Myung-bak called an international investigation team together to examine what might have happened to his unfortunate vessel. In what can only be described as the farthest thing from a surprise as is possible, The investigation found the hardware remains of a homing torpedo with North Korean serial numbers.

I'm sure Col. Pak In Ho of the North Korean Navy would like everyone to believe that this might just be a coincidence of some sort, but unfortunately, it's not,--here's why:

The first bit of evidence we have is that there are North Korean markings on the torpedo hardware remains. This seems like damning evidence until you consider that the naval forces of both nations carry out regular military exercises near the water border as shows of force, and that this torpedo could be the leftovers of a training exercise. The problem with this theory, besides the insane coincidence that the torpedo happened to be lying next to a bifurcated South Korean warship, is that the remains show little signs of long term corrosion from seawater and no sea-flora growth. This means that this torpedo hasn't been resting on the seafloor for any more than a year.

The second bit of evidence comes in the form of photos released to the public:

The critical detail that these photos reveal is that the ship is in two halves. This in turn tells us that whatever sank the Cheonan wasn't an underwater mine. Mines explode next to a ship causing a massive vacuum to form next to the ship, which in turn causes the hull near the blast to actually blister outwards and rupture. However, it is unlikely that complete bifurcation would be seen. The ship's state also rules out an accidental explosion from within because these kinds of accidents remove large amounts of deck material and create a nasty concussion that would have likely killed everyone on board the doomed ship, instead of the 40-plus sailors that died out of a crew of over 100.

The second detail that these photos reveal is that the ship seems to have broken cleanly in half with little tearing and fraying along the rift. This is the signature of a torpedo attack. Modern torpedos came out of the design of hydrostatic and magnetic torpedos of the second World War. Instead of slamming into the side of ships and blowing a hole in them, modern torpedos home in on engine noise, heat or sonar signatures and then often explode directly underneath an enemy vessel. This explosion causes the middle of the ship to be raised up, while a trough is formed in the water below the keel. The middle of the ship then comes crashing down and the ship literally tears in two under its own weight. First the ship is bent upwards, then down, and like a paper clip being bent back and forth, the metal hull snaps.

I'll make a bold statement then: The Cheonan sank from a torpedo hit. Was it North Korean? Probably.

Last night I downloaded the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker demo for the Sony PSP. The demo was free, naturally, and can be found on Konami's Metal Gear portal site. Although the PSP was designed to take UMD discs, it seems that most future games will be downloaded onto memory cards and bought through the PlayStation Store. Since my PS3 has been broken for almost two months now, downloading the demo from the PS Store was obviously out. Instead I was surprised to find that what I thought would be a roundabout way to get my hands on the demo, turned out to be a fairly straightforward affair. Downloading the demo was simple because using a USB to mini-USB cable, I was able to connect my PSP to an internet-ready laptop. The computer treated the memory card in the PSP like a standard USB thumb drive. After the download was complete, it was only a simple matter of moving the unzipped files to the PSP folder on the desktop.

I have to admit that I've been really excited for this game because I have been a fan of pretty much every installment in the Metal Gear series. Previews of the game confirm that it possesses that trademark Kojima quirkiness. My only trepadation going into any new Metal Gear series is whether or not it has changed too much. Some series, like KOEI's Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors die out because they never evolve. Companies that keep repackaging the same game over and over again usually make the consumer feel like they have been duped. Not so with the Metal Gear series. The Metal Gear series evolved out of the arcade game form into a surprisngly deep and rich plot-based game back in the early 90's. Since then, cut-scenes, especially in the latest installment, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, have increasingly climbed to near-epic cinematic lengths. For diehard fans of the series, this is never a bad thing. Metal Gear is like a good book that you wish would just keep going and never end. When it does end, and the sequel comes out, doubts linger whether or not it will possess the same flavor as the original. At this point, Hideo Kojima has proven that he can keep his series consistent in terms of quality and tone-I have no reason to believe Peace Walker would be any different.

The first thing that needs to be said about the demo is that, well, its a demo. I know this because a disclaimer at the beginning of the demo told me as much. Also noted is that what is in the game isn't neccesarily representative of the final product. In fact, it probably isn't because Konami asked back in December of 2009, when the demo was released, for fan feedback. I wish I had had the time back then to give the game a proper once-over so I could have included my voice in the discussion, but I hope this review in some ways will reflect the natural issues that have arisen after playing through the demo.

The plot for this particular game is centered around Snake, a.k.a. "Big Boss" and his band of freelance guns. Militaires Sans Frontieres is a group of soldiers that don't have borders (frontieres.) The demo begins with a quick tutorial cleverly disguised as a regular training session with Snake and company on a storm-swept beach in some non-descript South American region. No sooner has Snake dug the sand out of his eye-patch than he is confronted by a professor and his student. With a typical lack of subtlety, two of the characters' names make obvious connections to the game's title. Paz and Kaz are both words for peace in Spanish and Japanese, (Kaz is technically an abbreviation.) Without ruining too many plot details, Snake is asked to intervene for the army-less nation of Costa Rica circa 1974.

The dialogue between characters is portrayed through a graphic novel-like segment that was introduced in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. The quality of drawing and animation has been sharpened up for a much more dramatic effect.

Speaking of visuals, the graphics are phenomenal. MGS Portable Ops was good, this is great. Some issues such as octagagonal tires on trucks are still present, but it is clear that the folks working on this game put way more effort into creating a rich Jungle landscape that was strangely absent in the last South American tryst. Leaves sway in the wind and water splashes under Snake's boot.

Travelling between areas also feels sharper. Similarly to the transitions in MGS4, an audible tone lets you know you are nearing an exit, if you continue, Snake keeps running through the area and the screen fades to show a map of where you are headed. Once you reach the new area, chances are you will be five feet away from bumping into a trigger-happy mercenary in the bush. Stealth plays a big role in this demo, as it does for other Metal Gear games. However, Snake also packs quite a punch, depending on which loadout you chose to wear before going into each mission. I doubt that this is a permanent feature of the game. It seems to me that this is a demo-friendly feature that simplifies pre-mission preparations. Two of the loadouts provide heavy weapons such as HEAT-firing RPGs. The sacrifice is in armor or stealth. An additional loadout known ambiguously as "Jungle Fatigues" gives you a balance between sneaking and bringing the hurt down. The final loadout features the always-cool sneaking suit and a mini-riot shield. This loadout is pure stealth. Equipped with barely more than a bee stinger for offense, this loadout allows you to practically run up behind soldiers and pants them while they are none the wiser.

The first levels play out in a linear manner that doesn't feel linear. Like MGS3, this game is linear, but it gives you the illusion that you are choosing your route by putting so many bushes and trees in your path. The controls to move through the underbrush are similar to those of Portable Ops, except that the no matter which setting you choose, either "shooter" or "action," you won't be able to use the small joystick to look around in the first person mode. At first this was pretty irritating, but in the end it felt like more of a reasonable challenge to add into the game. Again, it is also possible that this is only in the demo, and that previous control schemes will appear in the final version. Also strangely absent is Snake's ability to crawl. This feature has been a stealth basic in every Metal Gear game, so I'd like to think that this is again, another demo-only feature.

Also similar to Portable Ops is the return of what looks to be a system to recruit enemy soldiers to your cause. Grunts knocked out by tranquilizer rounds can be air lifted at alarming speeds via the Fulton Recovery system. Instead of dragging soldiers all the way back to a deuce-and-a-half truck at the mission start point for safe recovery, you can now tie an oversized yoga ball filled with some super light gas that whips bodies into the sky for pick up by helicopter or plane. Unfortunately, I can't confirm that this really is meant as a tool for recruitment because the demo doesn't feature the ability to assign turncoat soldiers to your squad. It is possible since you couldn't drag soldiers around in this demo to hide them from sight, that the Fulton exists only to get them away from wandering patrols.

Overall the demo shows a game that holds real promise. The evolution of better graphics hasn't neccesarily mean't better Metal Gear games, so I for one am happy to see Metal Gear getting such a big presence on the PSP. The handheld nature of this portable platform seems right at home with the very nature of Snake and Metal Gear. The ability to whip out the PSP and play through a level in short order is at the heart of the Metal Gear Series: Mobility.

Recent post on "Rick Snyder For Michigan" Facebook fan page:

"Rick’s extremely disappointed that the flawed healthcare legislation passed yesterday. As a result, we can expect higher costs, bigger burden on the state’s Medicaid system, higher premiums and higher taxes. Call on the career politicians in DC to repeal it and provide bipartisan reforms that address costs, portability, pre-existing conditions, competition among insurance companies and not pass another unfunded burden to the states."

Although I have been voting for Democrats for the last two elections, I consider myself an independent voter. I was strongly considering supporting Rick Snyder for governor because he seemed to have only moderate thoughts on social policy, and perhaps better economic ideas than anyone else in the field for governor of Michigan. That is, until now.

I guess I'm not really surprised that a registered republican like Snyder would oppose healthcare, so that's not what shocks or angers me. What does surprise me is that someone who is running for governor of our great state would decide to out themselves so pointlessly on the largest social media networking page on Earth. It goes without saying that in order for Rick Snyder to become governor, he has to rely heavily on using social media to his benefit. Just like any other tool of public relations, Facebook allows him to maintain constant contact with his supporters. The critical body of his supporters are the liberal democrats he has garnered support from. In order to maintain and grow this group of supporters, Rick should consider the following strategies:

-An effective strategy might be to post regular updates on less-than-political things like basketball games, local events, and every once in awhile, discuss an economic strategy that doesn't involve too much conservative dogma.

-Patrol your page for user-uploaded photos that contain tea party fubars. Often carrying poorly worded (and spelled) signs, these philistines are as derisive to many level-headed conservatives as they are to the most bat-shit insane liberals. 

-Consider monitoring your feedback more closely. When arguments escalate (or downgrade) from heated debates to flame wars carried out by right wing extremist functional retards, then it might be time to turn off comments, or post an official reply asking folks to be civil.

Posting something that basically says "I hate the new healthcare reform" is both divisive and smacks of a heat-of-the-moment misjudgment. But don't blame just yourself Mr. Snyder. Whoever has been helping you with your Facebook fan page is the real turd in the punchbowl. Someone should have stopped you from putting this content up. Someone should have politely told you that it would be political suicide to post this on Facebook. Someone should have told you that you need to stop riling up conflict on your fan page. 

But clearly no one did. Now Rick Snyder has not only lost my vote, but I suspect the votes of many other moderate Michiganders-all because this "one tough nerd" wasn't nerd enough to know how to use Facebook. If Rick Snyder can't even maintain a properly run Facebook fan page, then I don't want him anywhere near the office of the governor.

It really bugs the hell out of me when a decent game doesn't get a decent review. I have to think that this happens because "experts" in the industry are used to writing reviews in the constrictive system of ratio-based reviews. Having to rank a video game on a scale of five or ten forces the content of the review to be equally sweeping and decisive. The review writers can't really be blamed for this, but what I do see is a growing level of cynicism creeping into reviews. The sorry truth that some folks on their high pedestals <cough> at ign and<cough> gamespot <cough> need to realize is that not every game can be God of War 3 caliber. Not every developer can dump millions of dollars into the production of a game. The multi-million dollar budget games do tend to get favorable reviews though. From there, a roughly corresponding drop in score occurs as the budget alotted for a game also drops. So what then? We might as well skip reviews altogether and blow our hard-earned dough on games with only the most bloated production values.

So when one of these games comes along that didn't have a huge budget, but definitely offers fun to at least one group of people, I plan on therapeutically writing a real contrarian review. Please welcome our first contestant: Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2 for the Playstation 2.

Ok, first off, let me acknowledge the syntactical gymnastics this title puts you through. Obviously this smacks of a Japanese title translation in only the way they can pull off. The original title of this game as it was released in Japan is equally nonsensical to the average American, Kaido: Touge no Densetsu. For the sake of simplicity, I'll just refer to this mouthful as TXRD2.

TXRD2 is a racing game that is based on togue racing in the mountains of Japan. Think The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, but without grown men actors playing testosterone-enraged highschoolers. This racing game was released in 2005, and what was unique about it is that it got, almost universally, terrible reviews. Ign gave it a whopping 4.0 out of 10. Gamespot was a little more forgiving, and offered a 5.2 out of 10. Major complaints were crummy graphics, terrible handling and an unimaginative story. 

Enter the power of social media. In most cases on websites like ign and Gamespot, where the chance to enter your own score is available, the user score tended to be over an 8 out of 10. Why such a huge difference in opinion? Since I'm a car nut and a sucker for racing games, (and the game was only $6.00 at GameStop) I decided to take a risk on the game and see if this was a candidate for vindication.

The first thing that became apparent to me was that this was not an arcade game. If you like games like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, then this game should fit you just fine. If you like Need for Speed and Crazy Taxi, you might want to pass on this one. Ign's reviewer described the handling in TXRD2 like that of a yacht. Unfortunately this game was packaged in a way that does make it look like an arcade game, but the reality is that cars going 90+ mph don't turn on a dime. Also, it is important to note that if you don't like the way your car handles in TXRD2, you can change it by going back to school and getting a masters degree in engineering so you can figure out all the complex isometric values to input into your transmission ratios. That isn't technobabble either, this game will allow you to do that. Almost any value of the cars can be tweaked and tuned.

Reviews also described the graphics as outdated, even back in 2005. I understand that the PS2 at the time had really matured and most of the games released around 2005 really pushed the graphics envelope for the system. I can see how many, especially now in the age of the next-gen consoles would be underwhelmed by TXRD2's graphics. That being said, Genki Racing Project, which developed the game, took the time to actually go out to the mountain roads that are in the game and measure them with all sorts of laser surveying equipment, so again, the focus was on simulation-level accuracy, not special effects.

Then comes the story line. Like the title of the game, this segment of gameplay suffers when it is lost in translation. Characters behave in a way that frankly won't make any sense to most westerners. Personally, I found the text-based dialogue pretty humorous for how ridiculous it is, but after awhile I just skipped through it-I don't really need a story to my racing games anyway.

The bottom line is this: If you are a fan of racing simulations (like GT4,) but also like the cool retro kitsch of being able to drift a AE86 Sprinter Trueno down a mountainside Initial-D style, then this game is right in your wheelhouse. Anyone who likes their racing games relaxed should heed the casuals over at ign and Gamespot and avoid this like the plague.

Ultimately this is why rating video games by a number stinks. Depending on what a person values in the game,  some terrible beast of a challenge to one person will seem like a worthy endeavor to another. In this case, the feeling of accomplishment felt after successfully navigating a downhill mountain run without touching a single guard rail is palpable.

(On a side note: I don't live in the stone age, and I don't plan on reviewing PS2 games forever; my PS3 is currently broken.)

More news has recently come in about ever-secretive Microsoft's new project. "Project Natal" seems so far to be similar to the Wii, except that PN won't use any analog controller at all. Instead of whipping a Wii-mote through your hi-def TV, you can now throw yourself through it. Wii-related injuries, such as sprained wrists, may give way to more grievous injuries as you will now be able to control games with a full range of body movements. I for one am all for introducing more direct physical interactivity between video games and players. People, Americans in particular, are plagued by an epidemic of obesity. Judging by the number of nine-year-olds on XBox Live cussing grown men out, I'd say that not too many parents are pushing their kids to go play outside, so bravo Microsoft.

In addition to slight amounts of exercise, physically interactive games are yet another step closer to virtual reality. The problem with PN is that XBox, while an amazing piece of tech, is not capable of a true virtual reality experience. The XBox 360 is, well, for casuals. That's not meant to be an insult, but rather the difference between sitting down to play a round of your favorite game online, and engrossing yourself in a virtual world. As of yet, the latter activity is impossible for the average consumer. Consequently, PN will seem like something of a half-measure through no fault of Microsoft.

Many hardcore gamers, like myself, love the analog controller. Just like the chubby kids fragging people on MW2, I play my video games as a form of relaxation (except I also work out. Ahem, parents?) If a physical control is added into my experience, replacing my analog controller, I'm not sure if I would feel as relaxed. Sure, I can hold a beer AND a cigarette now while playing a game, but chances are that I will be moving around-not sitting on my couch.This is where PN becomes the awkward middle-ground between casual gaming through analog, and full on lifestyle changes through VR. I think PN will be a god-send for parties, but for gaming as relaxation, I think I'll pass.

We'll find out more this summer when Microsoft is rumored to reveal PN's official name at E3.

This weekend I went to the NAIS 2010. This definitely wasn't the first time I had been, and boy, are the changes in that show palpable. I remember in years past going with my Dad to the show. General Motors in particular spared no expense on their display, and even had something called the "General Motors Experience," which was basically a second story to their floor space for employees and their families.

This year it was all about the cars, specifically the electric, hybrid and fuel cell cars. No fancy displays with fake waterfalls or ice sculptures, just the cars and a few tired looking models (to be fair, I went on the last day of the show.) This nod to minimalism is welcome in my eyes, although I didn't appreciate the lack of literature on the cars, which is something I have always looked forward to at conventions.

So here are the pictures:

The business end of the Lexus LFA. It's a 200mph+ beast that will most certainly have a six figure price tag. It is NOT a concept car!

Another shot of the LFA, this time from its sexy behind. Seeing as I am slightly OCD and my favorite number is three, I love that triple tailpipe.

Meh. A Ferrari, so what? You know you have been to too many auto shows when a 599xx becomes an old sight.

The new Lotus Evora. Not quite as fluid looking as the Elise, which is a welcome change in my opinion.

The return of a legend. The Mercedes Benz SLS Gullwing makes its return this year with that classic roadster style. This is the kind of car that forces you to get your exercise, because you will be parking it at the back of the mall parking lot.

The 2011 Chevy Volt. The fact that this car now looks like every other small car on the road is a good thing. Making an electric car believable to the public is no easy task, but I think the Volt is looking like a car I could imagine myself parking in my driveway.

Overall, I have to say my pick for best in show has to be the LFA. I hope the raised edges and narrow cockpit of this supercar are the beginnings of a new stylistic trend.

Recently I saw the aftermath of a rather disturbing event, and it really got me preoccupied for awhile on what happens to whatever "you" are when you die. I'm not really a believer of an afterlife, maybe reincarnation (hopefully karma applies.) However, my dreams obviously don't care what I believe when I'm awake.

A few nights ago, I had a dream that I had died. I didn't know how I had died, but that wasn't really important because much to my surprise, I found life doesn't flash before your eyes. No, instead the pace is apparently around that of a PowerPoint presentation.

My dream consisted mainly of an instinctual feeling that I had died, which was proceeded by slide one of my PowerPoint presentation: "If you fall asleep during this PowerPoint, you will be dead."

Awesome. A PowerPoint has never commanded my attention like this. The next slide, and all slides that followed were various memories from the past 24-some years of my life. I watched for what felt like hours in my dream state, but was probably only five minutes since this was one of those annoying post-wake-up-falling-back-asleep dreams. I think at some point I fell asleep during my own life's PowerPoint presentation because I woke up, which brings me to the question:

If your life was a PowerPoint presentation, would anyone stay awake through it?

I have been trying to get into shape little by little lately. It has nothing to do with a New Year resolution; those never seem to work for me. Recently I have had a change in jobs which has allowed me to fit Kendo back into my schedule. At any rate, my past few practices have been all about getting back into the swing (pun intended) of things. I can't believe how out of shape I am! I must be starting to age, because lost is my ability to sit on the couch for a few months, then get up and compete on an athletic level. At the end of practice I have been wheezing and I feel downright flabby. I am not a fat guy either, but I have lost a lot of endurance over the past few months of inactivity.

To counteract this, I have decided to walk home from work at least once every week. I live more than a few miles away and the walk takes over an hour to complete. Did I mention I live in Michigan and our January weather is unforgiving? At any rate, last night at around 7:30 p.m. it was a balmy 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I was waiting for the bus downtown when I thought, "To hell with the bus, I'll just walk it." I took the same route out of downtown that I usually take, but at about midway to my apartment, I detoured to cut across the old golf course where I worked my first job almost a decade ago. It was of course closed, and covered in snow. I could tell that some sledding had taken place because amongst the pristine snow drifts were swaths cut by those cheap plastic saucers you can by at a supermarket.

I was the only one on the course now, it being so late and all. It was incredibly beautiful; the snow was more than enough to reflect what visible light there was for me to make my way across the back nine. Earlier in the fall my friend and I had found that we could get onto the course by a gap in the fence that bordered our apartment. I headed for where I was pretty sure we had entered,figuring I could get right back to my apartment through the same fence. However, as time passed I realized the gap in the fence must have been mended because I was virtually trapped in the back of the golf course. After having a smoke by the tornado alert weather station and surveying my surroundings, I found there was a spot where the fence ended on its own accord. There was good reason for this because it was all woods with steep hills, and it looked downright foreboding. I searched around the edge of the wood for the best entrance when I found a delta where a bunch of animal tracks met.

As I walked through the woods on this animal trail, I noticed the impressions of dog tracks with no human footprints accompanying them. This type of thing really makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as I realized I probably wasn't alone in the woods. A lot of coyotes roamed the golf course when I worked there, and they probably still do. I had that murky instinct leftover from early human history that made me feel like I was being watched. The woods were so hilly that I couldn't see very far around me, but the rest of my journey through the forest was an exercise in controlling nerves.

Never happier to be home, I reflected on the walk in a positive way, but noting to myself to skip the golf course after dark; Surface streets should suffice.