Heroism

I have had a thought. I realised some months ago that playing strategy games and such makes me wish I really was a great emperor, with all that power. But now I have found out that this wish is just part of a greater, simpler desire.

The youthful, boyish desire of being a hero. Now, that is a rather childish desire, but I'm not really concerned about that. Now that it's there, let us have a closer look instead. If the devil is in the backyard, there is no point locking the front door. Unless the milk-man is having an affair with your wife.

See, the unveiling of this desire made me think. And thinking is good. I enjoy it. I had a very nice mix of loneliness and impressions on Sunday, that always gets me thinking. What I thought about is this:

Heroes does not arrive to face challenges. Challenges produces heroes to face them.

Heroes does not exist until a situation calls for them. Until then, they are ordinary people, or perhaps even misfits. Hero material in deposit.
There's this guy I grew up with. He was rather clever, and people just seemed to follow him, but he could never fit in the systems of society, like school.

I wonder if he is one of those. I mean, if he had a challenge to rise to, would he?
If so, how many are there out there, heroes which destined has doomed to become misfits instead, because they live in a world without challenges?

Mwahahaha

Reality first

Don't worry about the distinction between reality and fiction, that's easy enough to spot.

The important part is what's the same, the parts where fiction and reality is fused together to become one.
All the books, the songs, the movies, the games. Stories of greed, hatred and blood.
It was reality first. It was inspired by what really is. All of that is part of us.

Dammit, I changed again

"In war, truth is the first casualty. "

-Aeschylus Aeschylus

I changed my mind about Georgia during the last week.
It is indeed a country pushed hard by Russia, and it was a bold thing to do, to attack an area guarded by Russian soldiers.
But as at least some of the truth has been unveiled, I realise that this boldness was more dumbfoolery than bravery.
I have many thoughts about why the war started, and what will happen now, but for now perhaps it is better to wait and see. I think it will take many years before we get to know what really happened there.

Bravery or desperation?

Georgia is at war with South-Ossetia and Russia.
Georgia is one of those tiny countries that used to be a part of Soviet, and has been harassed by Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Now they've shot down 2 Russian jet fighters, bombed a Russian barracks in South-Ossetia and they're invading a part of Georgia that claimed independence in 1992. Russia's currently moving lots of tanks into Georgia.

Now, Russia is one of the biggest militar powers in the world, Georgia have got roughly 5 million inhabitants and a few hundred tanks.
So why are they attacking Russia? I can't imagine them winning a regular war against such a superior enemy, and I don't think they think so either. Still, they have started a war like that.

Call them stupid, call them optimistic, I admire them.
For being brave, and standing up to a big bully like that, no matter the cost.

Big Buck Bunny

This is genious, and it's made in Blender, which is free!
I should really teach myself some animation zk1llz, with the game design edumafaction and all

Onions in WoW plx plx

This thread from the WoW-Europe.com suggestions forum is genious, go read it:
Requesting Onions

Hmmm

I was asked a very strange question a long time ago, I wrote this post about it, but ended up saving it as a draft.
Well, the question is not very strange question by itself, but it hit me out of nowhere, and it made me think. (When living alone, there's always room for thinkage).

"If you found out your girlfriend had uploaded naked pictures of herself on the internet, would you be angry at her, angry enough to break up with her?"

I think the answer depends a lot on exactly what kind of picture it is.
If it was a very vulgar picture, I would probably be a bit shocked, and worried for her sake. "Has she thought through the consequences of this...blah...blah" That picture will be out there for the rest of her life.
On the other hand, it could be a very pretty promo-picture for a "well-respected" website.
That would probably make me quite proud, I think.

That would all be my feelings on her behalf though. I think my own personal, initial response would be having my own pride being hurt.
For some unexplainable reason, men sometimes tend to consider their girlfriends "their private property" (Which is all bullshit of course)
Also, there's a common idea that only sluts and whores undress in public or for a camera. By this line of thought, your girlfriend is then a slut, and she's taking decisions on her own, which reduces your own "manliness". (Don't ask me who it was that came up with all these rules, but they seem to be there).

An attempt to answer the original question:

I don't think I would be very angry. My own selfishness and pride would perhaps sting a bit, but that would be my issue, not hers. For her sake, I would hope it was a nice picture, one she wouldn't regret having out on the internets twenty years later. As a side-note though, if one already is in a relationship, it would be a good idea to confer the idea with said boy/girlfriend.
I mean, if she did it because she was that confident in her own looks, and that proud of herself, I should just be happy for her. (I know that I would never dare to dress naked in public)