Microsoft could screw up a two-man parade. They went out of their way to buy a bunch of interesting game companies to take over the online GaaS niche and what have they done with it?
Rare (GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark), Mojang (Minecraft), Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout), id Software (Doom, Quake), Arkane (Dishonored, Prey, Redfall), and Blizzard (Starcraft, Warcraft, Diablo), Ninja Theory (Heavenly Sword, Devil May Cry, Hellblade), and InXile (Wasteland, Bard's Tale IV, that Torment spiritual sequel).
If you are like me, you winced a couple of times as you wandered down memory lane going through those.
The Trump McDonald's thing was one of the craziest moments during the campaign.
He put on an apron while still wearing his signature tie. He salted fries and served them up to carefully vetted customers. He waved.
It was the dumbest photo op imaginable... DUMB LIKE A FOX.
Even Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, when talking about the stuff she did to make sure that kindygardy teachers could peel oranges, looks weird and off (but in a charming way!).
I think that there's this weird thing where different people who are good at this or that are weeded out at different levels of the game and so by the time you reach the level of having a recognizable name, only the blandest porridge is left.
I do think that a handful of the less dumb Democrats have started to notice that Trump won for a reason beyond Clinton/Harris being awful, awful candidates and are wondering what to do with this cursed knowledge.
I'm wondering what Whitmer is thinking... Whitmer vs. Vance 2028? Siphon off some of the Trump support and, seriously, where in the hell are the pinkos going to go? Jill Stein?
No, not removed from office. No, not impeached. Just banned from speaking or voting.
What makes this so awesome is that Republicans are constitutionally opposed to doing something like this in Republican states so there's bound to be zero unintended consequences!
The guys building the thing figure that they can get from Gilroy to Palmdale by 2045 if they can secure funding. Might be a good investment for people thinking about retiring around then!
A handful of questions itching in the back of my head:
1. Is she stupid? (Quite possible!)
2. Is she crazy? (Almost certainly!)
3. Has she been looking at internal polling? (The answers to #1 and #2 might inform this one.)
And the ever popular:
4. Am I in a bubble?
YES! EXACTLY! This is the exact sort of story that I was wondering would be on the same level as a "bar complaint"!
The lawyer gets back from lunch and the receptionist says "you got two more bar complaints from Ms. Bottleblond."
"Throw them in the circular file."
"Already did."
"Thank you, Gladys."
Or if it's something that it's actually rude to ask about.
I now know that it's something that's actually rude to ask about.
It's a question that I didn't know the answer to. I assume that most of the non-lawyers on the board don't know whether a "bar complaint" is a trivial thing that even the best lawyers attract every couple of months.
Like, if a guy in the military mentioned his squaddie got an LOC versus an LOR versus an LOA. One of those is one that everybody gets and they tell funny stories about. Other ones are mentioned only in hushed tones.
I mean, until this particular incident, I don't think that I'd ever heard of a "bar complaint".
Wait, was that what they got Clinton with after The Incident? So, I guess, maybe I had heard of one. Is this the same thing that Clinton got hit with?
Nevertheless, and speaking only for myself, I find “Have you ever been ethically grieved to your bar association?” a rude question to ask, especially in a public forum.
Okay, this answers nuances to the question I had. Like, having one of these filed is a big deal and while most of the lawyers on the board haven't had one filed, it's now something that Ms. James has to answer "yes" to, if under oath (for whatever reason) and, presumably, a lot more rare than, for example, getting written up at work.
I guess the comparison to what *I* do is "Have you ever been PIPed?"
Because *I* have been written up at work. I, personally, am responsible for multiple HR emails being sent out clarifying official company policies for everything from "the dress code" to "whether you should talk about politics at lunch". So if someone asked me "have you ever been written up at work?", my answer would be to laugh and tell the story about some of those emails.
"Have you ever been put on a Performance Improvement Plan?"
Now *THAT* is a personal question. (I mean, no I haven't, but still.)
So I now know the parameters of about how bad a Bar Complaint is.
As for America First Legal is acting in bad faith, I'm sure that they are. That said, it's possible to say something true in bad faith. That's something that can do a lot of damage.
Anyway, thanks for answering. I didn't mean to cause offense!
I can't say I care about "America First Legal". I *DO* care about what "bar complaints" are.
Have you ever had one filed against you? How often are they filed against anybody? When you go down to the lawyer bar and complain about your week, how often does someone there mention a bar complaint?
If the accusations in the complaint are true, does it meet the requirements for a bar complaint?
How bad do you have to be to get one of these things through the snake? Do you have to be Stephen Glass level or are we talking just a little bit worse than Richard "Racehorse" Haynes?
How difficult is it to set it up? Do you just show up at the place and plop down $80 and fill out a form? Do you actually have to get it past a board of some sort?
If someone filed one against you, what would that mean that you have to do?
This was, seriously, the most satisfying game that I have beaten in *YEARS*. It felt the way that games felt in the PS2 era. What a treat. What a great freakin' experience.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
Microsoft could screw up a two-man parade. They went out of their way to buy a bunch of interesting game companies to take over the online GaaS niche and what have they done with it?
Rare (GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark), Mojang (Minecraft), Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout), id Software (Doom, Quake), Arkane (Dishonored, Prey, Redfall), and Blizzard (Starcraft, Warcraft, Diablo), Ninja Theory (Heavenly Sword, Devil May Cry, Hellblade), and InXile (Wasteland, Bard's Tale IV, that Torment spiritual sequel).
If you are like me, you winced a couple of times as you wandered down memory lane going through those.
How in the hell do you drop that ball?
"
And it looks like GiantBomb is going under as well.
Rock Paper Shotgun got bought out last year.
What's left? Kotaku? Aftermath?
"
Erstwhile brother Ethan Gach reports: Polygon Sold To Valnet And Hit With Mass Layoffs
That's right, Vox Media sold Polygon to Valnet. Valnet owns, among other webpages, GameRant. (Some accuse GameRant of being clickbaity.)
This comes with layoffs, unfortunately.
On “US Department of Education Announces that it is Restarting Loan Collection”
They should set it up so that paying for your student loans with Trumpcoin gets a 10% extra payment.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
The Trump McDonald's thing was one of the craziest moments during the campaign.
He put on an apron while still wearing his signature tie. He salted fries and served them up to carefully vetted customers. He waved.
It was the dumbest photo op imaginable... DUMB LIKE A FOX.
Even Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, when talking about the stuff she did to make sure that kindygardy teachers could peel oranges, looks weird and off (but in a charming way!).
How in the hell do you bottle charisma?
"
I think that there's this weird thing where different people who are good at this or that are weeded out at different levels of the game and so by the time you reach the level of having a recognizable name, only the blandest porridge is left.
I do think that a handful of the less dumb Democrats have started to notice that Trump won for a reason beyond Clinton/Harris being awful, awful candidates and are wondering what to do with this cursed knowledge.
I'm wondering what Whitmer is thinking... Whitmer vs. Vance 2028? Siphon off some of the Trump support and, seriously, where in the hell are the pinkos going to go? Jill Stein?
"
Oh, and Maine is doing something freakin' *AWESOME* to stick it to transphobes.
Maine's Speaker banned Rep. Libby (R-HD90) from speaking and voting unless she recants her views about Maine allowing biological males to participate in female sports.
No, not removed from office. No, not impeached. Just banned from speaking or voting.
What makes this so awesome is that Republicans are constitutionally opposed to doing something like this in Republican states so there's bound to be zero unintended consequences!
(The Republican Supreme Court is probably going to squash it, though.)
"
So a mere "not smart, not canny, and certainly *NOT* looking at internal polling"?
"
Good news for High Speed Rail enthusiasts: California high-speed rail leader pushes state to support private investment
The guys building the thing figure that they can get from Gilroy to Palmdale by 2045 if they can secure funding. Might be a good investment for people thinking about retiring around then!
"
A handful of questions itching in the back of my head:
1. Is she stupid? (Quite possible!)
2. Is she crazy? (Almost certainly!)
3. Has she been looking at internal polling? (The answers to #1 and #2 might inform this one.)
And the ever popular:
4. Am I in a bubble?
On “Cats Are The Best: An Annotated List”
The cat distribution system is no joke. There should be someone that we could write a letter to.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
YES! EXACTLY! This is the exact sort of story that I was wondering would be on the same level as a "bar complaint"!
The lawyer gets back from lunch and the receptionist says "you got two more bar complaints from Ms. Bottleblond."
"Throw them in the circular file."
"Already did."
"Thank you, Gladys."
Or if it's something that it's actually rude to ask about.
I now know that it's something that's actually rude to ask about.
"
It's a question that I didn't know the answer to. I assume that most of the non-lawyers on the board don't know whether a "bar complaint" is a trivial thing that even the best lawyers attract every couple of months.
Like, if a guy in the military mentioned his squaddie got an LOC versus an LOR versus an LOA. One of those is one that everybody gets and they tell funny stories about. Other ones are mentioned only in hushed tones.
I mean, until this particular incident, I don't think that I'd ever heard of a "bar complaint".
Wait, was that what they got Clinton with after The Incident? So, I guess, maybe I had heard of one. Is this the same thing that Clinton got hit with?
On “Cats Are The Best: An Annotated List”
Those are just toothy kisses.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
Nevertheless, and speaking only for myself, I find “Have you ever been ethically grieved to your bar association?” a rude question to ask, especially in a public forum.
Okay, this answers nuances to the question I had. Like, having one of these filed is a big deal and while most of the lawyers on the board haven't had one filed, it's now something that Ms. James has to answer "yes" to, if under oath (for whatever reason) and, presumably, a lot more rare than, for example, getting written up at work.
I guess the comparison to what *I* do is "Have you ever been PIPed?"
Because *I* have been written up at work. I, personally, am responsible for multiple HR emails being sent out clarifying official company policies for everything from "the dress code" to "whether you should talk about politics at lunch". So if someone asked me "have you ever been written up at work?", my answer would be to laugh and tell the story about some of those emails.
"Have you ever been put on a Performance Improvement Plan?"
Now *THAT* is a personal question. (I mean, no I haven't, but still.)
So I now know the parameters of about how bad a Bar Complaint is.
As for America First Legal is acting in bad faith, I'm sure that they are. That said, it's possible to say something true in bad faith. That's something that can do a lot of damage.
Anyway, thanks for answering. I didn't mean to cause offense!
On “Cats Are The Best: An Annotated List”
Toxoplasmosis isn't that bad, really. It's got upsides, anyway.
And falling asleep with one of them under your hand? I can't imagine falling asleep any other way.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
Antimicrobial resistance.
"
"unlikely to go anywhere"
Cool, I'll keep an eye open and update when this either fizzles out or catches fire.
"
I can't say I care about "America First Legal". I *DO* care about what "bar complaints" are.
Have you ever had one filed against you? How often are they filed against anybody? When you go down to the lawyer bar and complain about your week, how often does someone there mention a bar complaint?
"
How much overlap is there between the accusations against her and the charges she brought against Trump?
Everybody on the right seems to be arguing that they're the same dang offenses.
On “Pop Culture Quarterly Report: Quarter One 2025”
I like Carey Mulligan a lot... dang. It is nowhere near Colorado Springs.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
I'm down with it being a stunt.
If the accusations in the complaint are true, does it meet the requirements for a bar complaint?
How bad do you have to be to get one of these things through the snake? Do you have to be Stephen Glass level or are we talking just a little bit worse than Richard "Racehorse" Haynes?
"
How difficult is it to set it up? Do you just show up at the place and plop down $80 and fill out a form? Do you actually have to get it past a board of some sort?
If someone filed one against you, what would that mean that you have to do?
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: Blue Prince”
Okay. I just beat it. Day 84.
This was, seriously, the most satisfying game that I have beaten in *YEARS*. It felt the way that games felt in the PS2 era. What a treat. What a great freakin' experience.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
California should lead the way with their HSR and show those hillbillies how to do it right!
California has approved *FOUR* rebuilding permits following the Palisade fires! Let's see Texas get out permits *HALF* that quickly!