August 28, 2006

• In holding that "depictions of violence are entitled to full constitutional protection," the court rejected a contention by the state that video games should be afforded different treatment under the First Amendment because they provide "visual, auditory and other sensory feelings of feedback and encouragement . . . when the viewer complies with instructions to do violence." Instead, Judge Brady compared video games to literature, noting that "[i]t is the interactive aspect of literature that makes it successful-- 'draw[ing] the reader into the story, mak[ing] him identify with the characters, invit[ing] him to judge them and quarrel with them, to experience their joys and sufferings as the reader's own." Yeah but where's the LOVE, maaaan??
• I could say the same thing about most pr0n. Identifying with characters, interacting with them, experiencing their joys and sufferings, inviting them to perform trombone...
• Is this a mini-gun which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee, I have thee not, yet I see you still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight or art though but missile of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat impressed brain. I see thee yet in a form as palpable as this which now I draw.  Thou marshallest me the way that I was going and such an instrument I was to use. I see thee still and on thy bullets blood dugeon gouts of blood which was notso before, there’s no such thing it is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eye.
• He didn't compare them to fine literature, just literature. So any form of writing from _instert_name_of_dead_white_man_here_ to _insert_trashy_author_here_ deserves free speech protection, as long as it isn't obscene. Similarly, videogames do regardless of their quality. It should be noted that this law was authored by notorious anti-videogame lawyer Jack Thompson (if you don't know who he is, just google him and prepare to be entertained).
• MonkeyFilter: experience their joys and sufferings *brought to you by the department of going to extremes
• James Gee is probably glad to hear it.
• I'm somewhat concerned at the number of links to the ACS blog that sphmug has posted here, especially when googling that username brings up nothing but links to ACS articles elsewhere. Care to disclose anything, sphmug?
• Oooh. *pulls up chair*
• Ah, back off tricycle. A federal judge said self-linking is just like fine tapestry-weaving.
• Lose weight now. Ask me how!
• Also, I have some plastic stuff from Amway that's really awesome, if anyone wants to party hard.
• MAEK UR COKC HUGE BUY A BIGGERCLASSTUL!
• Okay it smelled funny, but since no product was obviously for sale I gave it a shot. Web2.0 suX0rz
• (By the way, that only makes eleven (plus one mislaid) and not fourteen, unless wizards count differently to other people. But now please get on with the tale.) Well, I for one have found some amazing stories to get involved with via "video game" which seems to cheapen the idea. Tell me how many movies you pay $25 for that last 25 hours or more? That's value! But seriously, the Half Life series and Max payne, for example, are really nicely crafted stories that really do draw readers..wait..players in.
• On the counting habits of certain wizards Does it matter if they're bright or dumb? Do they reckon their birthdays by finger and thumb? Do warlocks ever pull off their socks and count on their toes? Well, the fact is, my dear, no one but a wizard knows.
• I'm currently playing Max Payne. Now, Pacman as fine literature, hmmmm.........