tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64726221566839577522024-03-13T09:54:02.761-07:00Jay_O_Doom's BlogJay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-67736557355157158032012-03-17T13:29:00.000-07:002012-03-17T14:05:20.839-07:00Liverpool Solidarity Federation picket Liverpool John Lennon airport with Ryanair Don’t Care<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepP6sKCTJzfzYvPAXYieF1eBVv97K6q8fTFmbWffBlsrRWiwI3XfKqseHMtHH3eW7NuBuOGO5WZ489yaFx4ta0r8q09BhNnWnR3-S88F2wx0QDSBxbi112jnWwRYHhCuIsI_7Ayt0Hb8/s1600/ryanair+picket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepP6sKCTJzfzYvPAXYieF1eBVv97K6q8fTFmbWffBlsrRWiwI3XfKqseHMtHH3eW7NuBuOGO5WZ489yaFx4ta0r8q09BhNnWnR3-S88F2wx0QDSBxbi112jnWwRYHhCuIsI_7Ayt0Hb8/s200/ryanair+picket.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today, Saturday 17<sup>th</sup> March 2012, members of
Liverpool Solidarity Federation accompanied John Foley in a picket at Liverpool
John Lennon Airport in support of the Ryanair Don’t Care campaign. The picket took place as part of an
international week of action to try to both draw public attention to Ryanair
Don’t Care, and to exert pressure on Ryanair and the businesses that facilitate
and benefit from their recruitment scam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier in the week we had given out leaflets in Liverpool
city centre to try to raise awareness of Ryanair’s policy of “recruitment for
termination” for young probationary cabin crew and to also draw attention to
the action today. Yesterday <a href="http://solfed.org.uk/?q=liverpool%2Fdirect-action-against-allied-irish-bank-and-daniel-silverman-solicitors">we also paid a visit yesterday to two key parts of the Ryanair recruitment scam</a> – Allied Irish Bank and Daniels Silverman solicitors, both with
offices in Liverpool city centre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Allied Irish Bank had, until recently, provided trainee
cabin crew with 3500 Euro loans which were paid to Ryanair by trainee crew so
Ryanair could provide training. Following
pressure from Ryanair Don’t Care, the bank stopped providing these loans in
2010. However, they are still chasing
terminated cabin crew for repayments, sending letters containing threats of
bankruptcy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daniels Silverman solicitors are also chasing terminated
cabin crew for loan repayments by sending demand letters threatening terminated
cabin crew with bankruptcy, and we visited their offices to deliver a demand
letter. A <a href="http://youtu.be/Z65Oie43FoQ">video of this day</a> is available for
viewing on YouTube.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today we met at Lime Street station and travelled on from
there by bus to the airport. Upon
arriving we set up the picket next to one of several entrances to the building
and began to hand out leaflets to passengers, visitors, and airport and airline
staff. We were approached at one point
by a police inspector who relayed his intention to be a hands-off presence.
Following this the police kept their distance, and eventually left the front of
the building entirely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We decided to expand the picket to cover as many entrances
as possible, and individuals were dispatched to each door to catch entering and
exiting punters and get the leaflets into as many hands as we could. At one point we were approached by an individual
who worked for Ryanair. The individual did not take a leaflet but let us know
that she supported today’s action. Many
members of the public took leaflets and engaged us in conversation about the
purpose of the picket. The message was certainly getting across.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later, we were approached by a group of Spanish travellers
coming through the airport. These
happened to be CNT members arriving for a holiday, and they spent some time
with us on the picket, picking up information and taking leaflets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2DV2a540mOjKXawkmbZT2SzMIGBfuyCD8wn-B6bBSYHE4BQQQS3OjYkjERvsPlVhyphenhyphenE-n2KLSo0VDORoFplEmB9BW2cCmhFNMNW-TdYiNiC0XQjFh1py56UDlB1zjdyjJ6YrtVcul400/s1600/ryanair+hen+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2DV2a540mOjKXawkmbZT2SzMIGBfuyCD8wn-B6bBSYHE4BQQQS3OjYkjERvsPlVhyphenhyphenE-n2KLSo0VDORoFplEmB9BW2cCmhFNMNW-TdYiNiC0XQjFh1py56UDlB1zjdyjJ6YrtVcul400/s200/ryanair+hen+party.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Towards the end of the picket, an Irish hen party passing
through the airport showed their support, taking a good amount of leaflets to
hand out on their travels and taking the opportunity to get a photo with the
famous John Foley! A photograph was also
taken in front of the Ryanair ticket desk with the Ryanair Don’t Care
banner. Hopefully the message got across
there too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s been quite a successful week for Ryanair Don’t Care in
Liverpool during the international week of action. Hundreds of leaflets have been handed out,
getting the message into lots of heads.
People have been actively engaging with use throughout the week on the
subject of Ryanair’s policy of “recruitment for termination” with respect to
probationary cabin crew. Direct action
against companies involved in the scam has increased the pressure on them and
placed the demands of the Ryanair Don’t Care campaign into the hands of the
exploiters. An incidental point about this week being that it has also showed the power of direct action, with many people recognizing John and the campaign from <a href="http://youtu.be/V1yT1yD0500">recent actions he has undertaken</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The message is a shocking one for some, but doesn't seem to surprise most. Ryanair, and the companies who
help and benefit from their recruitment scam, must be exposed so that no more
young people are duped into debt, depression and worse. Pressure must be placed on these companies so
that they are forced to seriously consider their place in this scam. John
Foley will not rest until Ryanair stop their exploitation of young people
across Europe, and Liverpool Solidarity Federation will continue to support him – an injury to one is an injury to all.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fcXw585gemf_oVZZnOtaeeUyYSGSC_kuNuBuJREmJNtI1PEbYM7ODPXS_ZLCHt75WQLnKK7Cn_TAS1f7SyRkZvO1aEMbB5Z8aqEnnzcuq_TAPdbhr8ulEek9uRY9CTzqBuu4AZDHIEQ/s1600/ryanair+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fcXw585gemf_oVZZnOtaeeUyYSGSC_kuNuBuJREmJNtI1PEbYM7ODPXS_ZLCHt75WQLnKK7Cn_TAS1f7SyRkZvO1aEMbB5Z8aqEnnzcuq_TAPdbhr8ulEek9uRY9CTzqBuu4AZDHIEQ/s400/ryanair+display.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-66750879710944097262012-02-04T13:42:00.000-08:002012-02-04T13:42:45.997-08:00Liverpool Solidarity Federation picket Pizza Hut<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today, members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation held a picket outside two branches of Pizza Hut in Liverpool City Centre. This was in solidarity with members of the Pizza Hut Workers’ Union (part of the IWW) in Sheffield who had called for a nationwide day of action against the company as part of their ongoing dispute with Pizza Hut management over pay, conditions and union recognition.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint0PSRfElph-YwiFkje96o5yEbZjCrcPaBwz2pkQhAaWF7WNcVmuCsO0Cgst3oBPNUqg-sstpVDhl90_otKmQAG4BTJm_wamn0GfPpq4wVIPf5-uwhcIXhPxBcPZdU0658f7SVEi4cNw/s1600/pizzahutpicket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEint0PSRfElph-YwiFkje96o5yEbZjCrcPaBwz2pkQhAaWF7WNcVmuCsO0Cgst3oBPNUqg-sstpVDhl90_otKmQAG4BTJm_wamn0GfPpq4wVIPf5-uwhcIXhPxBcPZdU0658f7SVEi4cNw/s400/pizzahutpicket.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The demands are stated by the union membership as follows:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">“In drivers conditions we are demanding regular updates of all moped drivers safety gear. We are also demanding an increase to deliver drivers per-delivery commission, which now stands at 60p, which clearly does not cover costs.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Over pay we are demanding pay increases in line with inflation, as currently our pay is seeing regular decreases. We also that we deserve time and a half for working Bank and National Holiday days. This is industry standard, we are not demanding the earth!</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lastly on the subject of Union Recognition, we believe it is only right as the workers that make the Pizza Hut company what it is we deserve to be talked to on an equal footing to management and have the right for our union to be recognised, giving us all stronger voice.”</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We began outside the Pizza Hut in the Liverpool One shopping centre. We started handing out leaflets to passers-by and prospective Pizza Hut customers and were quickly approached by both private security and a PCSO. We were informed that the centre was private property and that we would need to seek permission to hold any demonstration or picket. We informed security of our purpose and questioned the requirement for permission while continuing to hand out leaflets. Eventually, more security arrived and we took the decision to move to the second site ahead of schedule.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the way to the second site we came across a small group from Occupy Liverpool holding a demonstration outside a Vodafone store. They initially said they would join us at Pizza Hut but split off on the way and we didn’t see them again.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After our arrival at the second site, we distributed several hundred leaflets to members of the public (and some to staff) which laid out the reasons for the action and the demands mentioned above. Several members of the public approached us to ask about the picket. They were interested to know more about the action and the dispute and we were happy to pass on this information.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At one point during the afternoon we were approached by a clearly irate manager of the establishment who was claiming we were driving away customers and had caused her to send staff home as there was no longer any work for them to do. We saw no staff leaving the store while we were stood outside, and if this is policy at this particular store, it demonstrates the attitude of the management towards the staff there perfectly and shows why it is important that workers be in the position to be able to challenge such policies.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've since read stories of Pizza Hut workers' shifts being altered without notice, promises of training not being delivered on and of the poor attitude of management to workers at Pizza Hut generally, which I believe further justifies action such as that taken up and down the country today. Hopefully the action today will have helped to make Pizza Hut workers around the country aware that they can organize and fight back against such treatment, as well as placing additional pressure on Pizza Hut management in this dispute and we offer our solidarity to the Pizza Hut Workers’ Union in their struggle.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-41449508107093324642012-01-30T06:39:00.000-08:002012-01-30T06:47:21.776-08:00A letter regarding Occupy Liverpool<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtFdOZI1GEhyphenhyphenykjb51ro1hadkGP1Se1YN5mfxr337qOW9soLMV1NlwMjYHfy4DNUSqx5JpHncABEobZXsGf27Ux7HCkVkXrIibhZDV5O83lM2nATNr5b3L31BnQBI8S9jvhkbMp12kLw/s1600/3680739-zz100112occupyliverpool2_460_305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtFdOZI1GEhyphenhyphenykjb51ro1hadkGP1Se1YN5mfxr337qOW9soLMV1NlwMjYHfy4DNUSqx5JpHncABEobZXsGf27Ux7HCkVkXrIibhZDV5O83lM2nATNr5b3L31BnQBI8S9jvhkbMp12kLw/s200/3680739-zz100112occupyliverpool2_460_305.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I received a copy of this letter today from a sympathetic
resident of 1 Crosshall Street, an apartment building near Occupy Liverpool. Those occupying the building will likely be familiar with the
information provided, but I think it’s an interesting read nonetheless. I have
copied the wording of the body of the letter verbatim and provided contact
details of the signees at the bottom.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
The body of the letter reads as follows:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dear Resident </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Occupy Liverpool</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We are writing to you to update you on the Occupy Liverpool
protests. As you be aware, a group of protestors are squatting in the Tinlings
Building on Crosshall Street and have been there for the last couple of weeks.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Residents living in your building have contacted us with
concerns around safety and noise.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We have been working closely with the Police and the City
Council’s Environmental Team to deal with these issues and wanted to let you
know where things are up to:<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The Tinlings Building is subject to a
prohibition notice served by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS), the
protestors have been advised on the risk from fire and the presence of asbestos
in the building but have chosen to remain in the building. MFRS have therefore
discharged their duty of care</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The building owners, Huntsmere Developments Ltd
have commenced legal action to obtain an injunction to take the building back. It
is estimated that it will be 3 to 4 weeks before the injunction is obtained.
Once they have the injunction, Huntsmere will appoint bailiffs to remove the
protesters, the Police’s role being to prevent a breach of the peace.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">The occupation of the building is lawful until
such time as the injunction is obtained.</span></li>
</ul>
We would ask residents to continue to report any specific
issues they have with the protestors.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
With kind regards</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Councillors Nick
Small, Sharon Sullivan & Christine Banks</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Labour Councillor
for Central Ward</b></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The councillors’ contact details are as follows:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Councillor Nick Small: 07986 445 820 <a href="mailto:nick.small@liverpool.gov.uk">nick.small@liverpool.gov.uk</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Councillor Sharon Sullivan: 0151 225 2366 <a href="mailto:sharon.sullivan@liverpool.gov.uk">sharon.sullivan@liverpool.gov.uk</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Councillor Christine Banks: 07732 222 940 <a href="mailto:christine.banks@liverpool.gov.uk">christine.banks@liverpool.gov.uk</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Also of interest will be the website of Huntsmere
Developments Ltd. You can find them at <a href="http://www.huntsmere.co.uk/">http://www.huntsmere.co.uk/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Judging from their portfolio, the Tinlings Building,
after many years lying empty and abandoned while space such as this is at a
premium in Liverpool, is set to become, at an as yet unspecified date in the
future, yet more luxury apartments which those most in need of housing in the
city will never be able to afford. The space has much more potential under
Occupy Liverpool’s plans to turn the building into a community centre. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
As Liverpool City Council abandons spaces such as these
and turns them over to the private sector (which often leaves spaces empty for
years) and at the same time cuts funding to services on which residents of the
city rely, activists should be prepared to occupy spaces such as these and turn
them over to positive use for the people of Liverpool. I’m sure if this were to
happen, the public, including residents of the apartment building mentioned
earlier, would give it their support.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-62441552862458292032012-01-19T08:20:00.000-08:002012-01-19T08:22:21.205-08:00Peaceful Anti-cuts Demonstration in Liverpool Attacked by Merseyside Police<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I arrived at the demonstration just after 4pm. Exchange Street West, to side of town hall,
was already closed off by police, presumably to “facilitate” the demo. Councillors had already entered the building
and there was around 100 people outside, more milling around than anything. The
atmosphere was subdued compared to recent protests in the same location. The council meeting began a little later and
the demonstration moved along the side street to be closer to the council
chamber windows and to make itself heard to those inside. After some time elapsed with protestors
shouting slogans and demanding answers from those within the council chamber,
but basically milling around in the barricaded area on the side street, an
attempt was made by the police to kettle the demonstration using officers on
foot and mounted officers, and the situation immediately became tense. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Realising the position the demonstration was now in, the
decision was made to move to the front of the town hall, where Dale Street,
Castle Street and Water Street meet, and where there was more space and no
barricades. The demonstration then
blocked this junction in response to police tactics. During this time, I had an altercation with a
bus driver who drove his bus at me and another demonstrator as, in his opinion,
we were too slow to move out of his way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I was threatened with arrest, presumably for a breach of the
peace, after firmly asking a police officer to remove his hands from my chest
(yes I swore at him). After informing the officer that nobody else could hear
what I had said over the background noise and swearing at him was not a crime,
he (ironically) called me a gobshite and moved away. A mounted officer then proceeded to walk her
horse into me while my back was turned, and then accuse me of hitting the horse
with a flag. I responded to this blatant
attempt at intimidation by informing the officer that my flag hadn’t touched
the horse and questioned the wisdom of barging someone from behind with such a
powerful animal and was again threatened with arrest for a crime that doesn’t
exist. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After a few tense minutes, several protestors sat down in
the road. They were urged to get to
their feet by other demonstrators and at this point the police began to pile
into the crowd, violently arresting several protestors. Attempts to de-arrest the protestors led to
more violence from the police and the situation began to escalate. Following another threat of arrest, I turned
round to see a comrade’s face covered with blood coming from his nose following
a punch from a police officer. Several
protestors were wrestled to the ground by large numbers of officers and police
made a concerted effort to try to make sure none of this was caught on camera
by riding horses into the crowd to block their view. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Police appeared to be targeting the younger members of the
group from Occupy Liverpool and the atmosphere was one of intimidation. Protestors were being dragged and carried to
waiting vans and a stand-off developed across Dale Street. The road remained blocked, which suggested
that the police tactics were not in response to the actions of the
demonstration. Numbers had diminished
and to try to avoid round 2 with the police, who had now been reinforced with
several Matrix units armed with tasers, the decision was taken to mobilise the
demonstration. We returned, via a tour
of Lord Street and Liverpool One, back to Occupy Liverpool’s building,
attempting but ultimately failing to lose the police, who were now headed by
black-clad and taser-carrying Matrix officers. During this excursion, one of the demonstrators at the rear of the group, who was riding a bike and accompanied by her child, was accosted by several Matrix officers with the excuse that she shouldn't be riding on the pavement. The atmosphere became tense again as the group surrounded the officers and the lady was eventually allowed to go on her way. After arriving at the building, police began
to keep more of a distance and once the demonstrators had dispersed, the police
did likewise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For me, this was not a spur of the moment event. The atmosphere at the demonstration had
deteriorated rapidly since the beginning, largely due to police attempts to
kettle the demonstration next to the town hall - an unnecessarily
confrontational tactic in the circumstances. When this dubious tactic failed, the police
almost immediately became overtly aggressive. <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2012/01/report-from-attempted-eviction-of.html">The failed eviction of Occupy Liverpool from a city-centre squat</a> a couple of weeks ago may also have contributed to the
attitude of the police and my suspicion is that the police were last night
attempting to reassert their authority in the city following that mishandled
embarrassment and criticism of their handling of civil disturbance in the
summer of last year. I have no doubt
that if the demonstration didn’t mobilize following the stand-off, the police would have waded in again and made more violent arrests and I am sure that if individuals were observed leaving the area alone, they would also have been arrested. Last night could mark a change in approach to
the policing of protest in Liverpool and the real possibility is that wherever
they can, police will attempt to intimidate protestors to stop them
demonstrating again. But many will return, and after the evidence of last night, they are sure to better understand what the police are really all about.<o:p></o:p></div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-60115631675494055442012-01-10T05:47:00.000-08:002012-01-19T08:12:10.303-08:00A short post about squats and Occupy Liverpool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt42fZBDRszcdwZBBOKvWXmJQtU0qhUERDmy05slztrBsR5369G5Gsc6izhzFtuBXYPTUZ8D20rePl5FRlR0CGyVUa797GpkagODFY667LgZgtbymanHut1y_ZwoeKJOT1bcCLhc5DAjU/s1600/_57783713_de54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt42fZBDRszcdwZBBOKvWXmJQtU0qhUERDmy05slztrBsR5369G5Gsc6izhzFtuBXYPTUZ8D20rePl5FRlR0CGyVUa797GpkagODFY667LgZgtbymanHut1y_ZwoeKJOT1bcCLhc5DAjU/s200/_57783713_de54.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>This post is written
against a background in which Occupy Liverpool recently “took possession” of an
abandoned building in Liverpool city centre. The building “belongs” to
Liverpool City Council and has been empty and available for sale for several
years. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is currently a battle over the public perception of
squats and squatters, with politicians and the media desperate to portray them
in a negative light while ignoring the scandal of empty, dilapidated spaces. The
state clearly sees squatting as a threat to its authority and a direct
challenge to the capitalist system itself, and it has gone to great lengths to
try to criminalize it outright. I believe the best way to counter this is for squatters and occupiers to
turn squatted buildings such as these over to positive social use as spaces for
discourse, education and practical action, and perhaps as shelters, soup
kitchens, medical facilities, counselling centres and a place where the public
can be taught practical skills.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I believe the public would be far more supportive of these
abandoned spaces being used in this way than of the “owners” of the spaces to
allow them to rot, or to be turned into yet more “luxury” apartments unaffordable
to the average local worker. Imaginative and positive use of such spaces can
only be beneficial in showing that spaces such as these can be put to better
use than as overpriced city centre luxury dwellings.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope that Occupy Liverpool can find suitable uses for
their new location to provide something positive to the community of Liverpool
and to allow the group to visibly challenge media perceptions of squats and the
government’s continuing desire to criminalize squatting. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-62984117481266867812012-01-08T14:41:00.000-08:002012-01-19T08:11:27.806-08:00A report from the attempted eviction of Occupy Liverpool<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After seeing the call for help on Facebook I arrived
around 5pm to find occupiers in the street confronting police near a yellow
Matrix van following the arrest of 3 of the occupiers by plainclothes officers
who didn’t identify themselves properly.
I learned that the occupiers had left the building voluntarily to talk
to the police and had subsequently been arrested on suspicion of the possession
of a controlled substance. After arrival I had noticed a couple of large men in
track suits standing to one side, watching the proceedings. They stood out a
mile as EDL and I asked several occupiers if they recognized them. They didn’t
seem to be taking photographs or filming anybody at the scene so we decided to
ignore them for now.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Police were standing guard at the entrances to the
building but were, of course, unable to gain access. Section 6 notices had been
taped to each entrance. Police were also denying access to anybody on the
street, declaring the building to be a crime scene. When quizzed about what the crime was, the
police refused to answer. More police
arrived and there was now probably 20-30 officers in attendance, including
several Matrix vans and dog units. Following a short impasse, occupiers inside
the building requested food and water, which was then brought to the site by
occupiers on the street. Formal permission to pass the food and water into the
building was requested and refused, and anybody attempting to pass food and
water into the building was threatened with immediate arrest under again unspecified
laws. Officers were dispatched to each window on the ground floor to physically
prevent food and water being passed in.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After communication with legal representation an
announcement was made that the occupiers inside the building were entitled to
food and water, and an attempt was made to pass the food and water into the
building. This was met by an immediate and unnecessarily violent response by
the police in front of the windows. The bag of food and water was ripped from
one occupier’s hands and police began to get physical with several people on
the street before being forced to retreat back to the windows by the now angry
crowd. It was at this point, as tensions threatened to boil over, that the
officer(s) in charge approached their subordinates and gave the order to stand
down. The police beat a hasty retreat back to their vehicles and began to
leave, and we were then successful in quickly getting the food and water into the building. One woman on the scene, accompanied by several occupiers, was invited to
talk to the officer in charge and was assured the police wouldn’t return. This
was taken by many with a pinch of salt. At this point we learned that the three
arrested occupiers had now been released and were on their way back, and I had
it confirmed to me that someone had recognized our track suited friends as EDL.
They left as soon as the police disappeared.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Morale seemed high and the occupiers seemed determined to
carry on in some form. I also had an in-depth discussion with somebody who had
turned up to help about squats in Liverpool and the possibility of turning
squats to a positive social use in addition to providing shelter for those in
occupation. I left at around 9pm, but not before several drive-bys from the police in cars and Matrix
vans. A possible indication of a police strategy of intimidation over the coming hours, days and
weeks. The occupiers will need to remain vigilant. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-9345256199569067512011-12-01T05:14:00.001-08:002012-01-19T08:11:48.013-08:00A choice: race to the bottom or fight and win<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a simple message from someone who marched and
visited pickets yesterday, but who works in the private sector:</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Don't moan. Organize. Just because the private sector
workforce has been brought to its knees by legislation, greedy bosses and cowardly
union leadership, it doesn't mean public sector workers have to throw away
their hard-earned and hard won benefits (as rubbish as they are for the
low-paid majority) in a race to the bottom.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I spent the first few years of my working life in the public sector,
and was never paid enough to be able to pay a penny into a pension, or to even afford a place of my own to live. The vast
majority of public sector workers are people like me and you, people like my parents: underpaid,
overworked, disproportionately taxed, and destined to struggle for every penny
in old age. These people are fighting not just for their own pensions,
but for the services everybody, public and private sector workers, take for
granted. Imagine having to find money for healthcare from your minimum wage
once the NHS is gone. Imagine, when you're old, having to choose between
heating and eating because fuel bills are sky high while winter fuel allowance
is being cut. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And then look at the cabinet. Almost every one of the people
making these decisions about your life is a millionaire who will never have to worry
about affording to see a doctor, or heating their home. The median pension
payout for a public sector worker is £5,600, with the average pension for a
female local government worker being just £2,600. And the new proposals will
mean workers paying more per month into their pension fund, and getting less
out at the end. Combined with government proposals to cap wage increases at just
1% per year, when inflation is taken into account this adds up to a huge pay cut.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The basic state pension pays out £102 a week. The government
itself says that anything below £178 per week for a pensioner is poverty pay
and over 2 million pensioners are in receipt of just a basic state pension.
That means they must live their day-to-day lives in poverty. Add the cuts to
fuel allowance and the rising cost of utilities and food, and the destruction
of the NHS, and it’s clear things will only get worse for pensioners. Of
course, this won’t be an issue for those politicians and bosses now attacking
the right to a decent old age for working people.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Private sector pension schemes have been all but destroyed
over the past 10 years. The number of workers in private sector pension schemes
has fallen from around a half of all workers to just a third. This will force
workers in the private sector to rely on more state benefits after they retire.
All of this has happened as corporate profit over the past 30 years has
increased hugely. The average pension for directors at large companies runs to
around £175,000 per year. And private sector bosses won't voluntarily sacrifice
their comfort in life to pay you a living wage. They'll do what they can to save
money. Turn the heating off in winter, scrimp on the equipment you need to do
your job, contravene health & safety regulations and put you in danger of
injury or death, and ultimately they'll make you redundant. Because they don't
care about you. You're a negative number on their balance sheet and if they can
drive that cost down they will. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Make no mistake - this fight is not "working people
against each other" but "the haves against the have-nots". The
bosses, and the politicians who serve their interests, like nothing more than
seeing workers pitted against each other. It means workers are not focused on
them while they decimate every privilege previous generations have fought for
in order to keep their own position in society. Everything politicians say
about strikes and other action is designed to discredit them, to divide private
sector and public sector workers further, and to divide different areas of the
public sector from each other. Francis Maude has been particularly outspoken
over the strike, yet his pension is funded by the taxpayer at £43,825 a year.
And union bosses are no better. Their position means they have little in common
with the people they're supposed to be representing. They will defend their
position and their pay at the expense of their members. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bosses and governments
will continue to attack everybody's pay and conditions unless workers stand up
to them, and union leaders will only go so far with their help. If workers want
a proper deal in life for ourselves and for the next generation, we will have
to take action for ourselves. We get nothing without fighting for it, and we keep
nothing without fighting to keep it. The bosses and the government have already
been for private sector pensions. Don’t let them come for public sector ones as
well. Stand up and fight for a decent future for all. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Stop moaning in news comments, visit a picket, visit a
march, learn and understand how it's done and that you yourselves have the power
to do the same if you've got the appetite and the knowledge to fight for it, because
that's what you'll have to do. Fight. The bosses and the politicians rely on workers to keep production running and to keep them in their position, to keep profits rolling in and to keep the millions in their bank accounts. The power is in your hands but we've got
to stick together to win. And we can win. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-47529673667800841902011-11-17T14:42:00.000-08:002011-11-17T14:48:22.671-08:00A brief comment on the 30th November strike action<br />
<b>This is the first of what I hope to be several posts on the 30th November strikes. It's actually a comment I posted on the Liverpool Echo website in response to their <a href="http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/11/17/strike-action-over-public-pensions-to-hit-liverpool-100252-29792194/">news piece on the forthcoming strike</a>, the tone of which appears to be largely hostile. The response to my comment has been hugely and pleasingly positive. </b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<br />
I'm a private sector worker who is not on strike that day. I will be marching alongside trade unionists in solidarity. The strike might nominally be about pensions, with ministers expecting working people to pay more and work longer for less (and that's for those lucky enough to have a job at all) while they continue to take huge salaries and allow the likes of Tesco, Sainsburys and Poundland to employ young people without paying them a penny for their work, allowing banks to do what they like, allowing corporations to take multi-billion pound profits without paying any tax, and allowing their friends and donors to take over our hospitals and put profit before patients.<br />
<br />
It's important that working people very quickly draw a line in the sand and tell the government where to go. There will be classic attempts to divide public and private sector workers from each other over this dispute. Everybody needs to remember that workers will always have more in common with each other than with any politician, and we need to stick together because at the end of the day, it is the workers the government and the boardrooms are expecting to pay dearly for the mess they've made and everybody, public and private sector workers, will suffer at their hands.<br />
<br />
I don't want to grow old, or see kids growing up, having to work two or even three jobs just to pay the rent and fuel bills. I don't want a world where illness or injury can mean a lifetime of debt for medical bills for the poorest people. I want a world where ordinary people stick together to fight injustices like that, and to fight for the hard-won gains of past decades, like the NHS, and to make them better. Politicians won't do this for us. They've long been in the pockets of business, so we need to do this ourselves and industrial action like this is a necessary first step. We need to be organized in order to fight for what is ours.<br />
<br />
<br />Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-212372205896130342011-11-10T04:18:00.000-08:002012-01-19T08:12:36.965-08:00Why I will not wear a poppy, this year or any year<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We know politicians are liars and hypocrites and this extends into every sphere of life. The poppy today is used as a cheap way of paying lip-service to the needless sacrifice of millions of working class service personnel at the altar of empire and capital while sending more working class men and women to fight and die in needless wars in the present and, when they return, making many of them rely on charity while the state that sent them serves the millionaires in the boardrooms. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The state is perfectly happy to encourage the jingoism that surrounds the idea of the poppy as it perfectly diverts the attention away from the complete lack of any true support offered by the state to the mostly working class men and women who are still sacrificed at the altar of capital and at the whim of politicians of all parties in wars to this day.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The politicians don’t care about the people they regularly send to die. They don’t care about the people they’re killing. They care about image and they care about capital and the soldiers, sailors and airmen are no different from the rest of the workers in this country. They do a job for and on behalf of the ruling class, so the politicians and the millionaires can keep their place and keep us in ours. They are asked to kill and to die on behalf of people who don’t give a shit about them. So instead of wearing a poppy or saying a prayer to remember the men and women who have so needlessly died, demand that our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers are never sent to kill and to die on behalf of the people who exploit them, the politicians and millionaires. Demand that no more people die for their privilege. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
No war but class war.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-22627014724251764482011-09-17T14:15:00.000-07:002011-09-17T14:15:31.542-07:00On Human Nature<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
Arguments I see time and time again against left-wing politics is that “human nature will get in the way” or “it ignores human nature”. Recently I’ve even seen this argument trotted out by people on the left, that any future system must “take human nature into account”. It’s fairly clear what is meant here without asking too many questions. Human beings are selfish. Human beings only work in their own self-interest and that this is natural. But I believe this to be wrong. This blog post will hopefully explain why.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The complexity of this subject has seemingly always been acknowledged but the approaches of philosophers, scientists and economists have varied widely over the centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ancient Greek approach held that destiny played a large role in human nature as every human was thought to be in some small way divine.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As time went on, this metaphysical view of human nature fell out of vogue and philosophers began to rely more on observation of human tendencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas Hobbes had a particularly pessimistic view of human nature as fundamentally violent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following this, Rousseau held that there was no predestination involved in human nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed that morality was a natural possession of human beings and that the construction of institutions, language and concepts such as justice are a necessary development from this, and that further to this, the importance of government and commerce had undermined liberty.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Later, following general acceptance of Darwin’s ideas on evolution and natural selection, an idea built up of nature in general being a brutal and violent struggle pitting individual against individual in a battle for survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The complexity of Darwin’s idea was frequently and erroneously boiled down into soundbites like Darwin’s unfortunate yet metaphorical “Survival of the fittest” and (retrospectively) Tennyson’s “Nature, red in tooth and claw”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inevitably this was applied to the economic, social and political ideas of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, this narrow view of evolution seemed to reaffirm the class divisions and economic inequalities of Victorian society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A society divided by class and deeply uneven in economic terms suddenly had a basis in reason, a scientific justification.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Darwin himself knew, of course, that this was a gross oversimplification and had anticipated such misunderstandings by pointing out in The Origin of Species that his phrase “Survival of the fittest” was more metaphor than an attempt to distil evolution into an easily digestible soundbite.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The use of these ideas by the establishment to justify the status quo could almost be seen as harking back to the time of the ancient Greeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the Greeks used the idea of metaphysical predestination to justify the status quo of land-owning citizens and a labouring class of non-citizen slaves, the post Industrial Revolution capitalist societies used the idea of a kind of scientific predestination in the same way.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the mid-twentieth century, game theory began to be used in the study of human nature and the initial studies in this direction would have consequences reaching into the 21<sup>st</sup> century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mathematicians working at the RAND corporation tasked with developing US Cold War strategy began to apply their ideas in game theory more generally and in idea of human beings as isolated, paranoid and self-interested individuals began to be built up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, but an idea developed that human beings acting in their isolated self-interest would bring about a stable society, and the mathematician John Nash actually won a Nobel Prize for demonstrating this mathematically.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The key to this was that the ground rules set down in the games developed at RAND must be followed – that is, participants must act selfishly and always attempt to outwit other players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when these ideas were tested on real people at RAND, the mathematicians found that in reality, people always chose to cooperate rather than betray other participants.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The particular game developed at RAND to demonstrate this concept was called the Prisoner’s Dilemma, and the game can be outlined as follows:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“In the Prisoner's Dilemma two players act as prisoners who have been jointly charged of a crime (which they did commit) but questioned separately. The police only have enough evidence to be sure of a conviction for a minor offence, but not enough for the more serious crime.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The prisoners made a pact that if they were caught they would not confess or turn witness on each other. If both prisoners hold true to their word they will only be convicted of the lesser offence. But the dilemma occurs when the police offer each prisoner a reduced prison term if they confess to the serious offence and give evidence against the other prisoner.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This sounds like a good deal, confess and you get the minimum possible term in jail - although your partner will get the maximum. But then you realise that if both you and your partner confess then both will be given the maximum term in prison. So the dilemma is whether you trust your partner to keep quiet - and if you do, should you 'stitch them up' to get out of jail quicker?”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The game, and Nash’s application of it to human behaviour, chimed perfectly with the paranoia of the time, at the height of the Cold War, and with Nash’s own paranoid world view as, at the time, Nash was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">These ideas eventually filtered into the consciousness of right-wing economists and politicians, culminating in modern neoliberal economic thought, Thatcherism and extreme individualistic capitalism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooperation and altruism were held to be myths and every person thought to be working purely in their own self-interest.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But parallel to this, certain biologists had begun to study what they considered a neglected and poorly understood aspect of evolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biologists knew that, contrary to the received wisdom, the story of evolution was not exclusively one of brutality, violence and death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They knew that along with the competitive aspects, there was also an aspect of cooperation and altruism, and some biologists set out to try to explain this in evolutionary terms.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Blazing a trail in the early 1970s was American evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers, who proposed theories on reciprocal altruism and parental investment. Reciprocal altruism can be framed as follows:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“…a behaviour whereby an organism acts in a manner that temporarily reduces its fitness while increasing another organism’s fitness, with the expectation that the other organism will act in a similar manner at a later time.”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Examples of reciprocal altruism in nature include vampire bats, which will occasionally regurgitate blood to feed each other, dolphins, which occasionally come to the aid of struggling humans and other animals, and, in particular, chimpanzees have been shown, in studies at the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, to act altruistically towards even genetically unrelated individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Felix Warneken at the Institute:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Chimpanzees and such young infants both show that some level of altruism may be innate and not just a factor of education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People say we become altruistic because our parents teach us so, but that young children are originally selfish. This suggests maybe culture is not the only source of altruism.”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And we know from our own experience that human beings cooperate all the time in a wide range of endeavours and also often perform extremely selfless acts for the greater good of the group, or other individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see cooperation all around us, from trade unions to workplaces to units in an army during times of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these activities require cooperation and individual sacrifice for others.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As laid out by Peter J. Richerson, Robert T. Boyd and Joseph Henrich in a study entitled Cultural Evolution of Human Cooperation, evidence of human cooperation is “extensive and diverse”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They cite studies of Prisoner’s Dilemma games which shows that “humans are prone to cooperate even with strangers”, and they “often vote altruistically”, but that cooperation could be dependent on other factors and that institutions play a large role in human behaviour.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It may seem obvious, but, as Richerson et al put it, “people from different societies behave differently because their beliefs, skills, mental models, values, preferences and habits have been inculcated by long participation in societies with different institutions”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This manifested during repeated play of the Prisoner’s Dilemma game, a rapid breakdown in trust and consensus.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan’s book Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors: A Search For Who We Are, an experiment is relayed in which “macaques were fed if they were willing to pull a chain and electrically shock an unrelated macaque whose agony was in plain view through a one-way mirror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise they starved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After learning the ropes, the monkeys frequently refused to pull the chain; in one experiment only 13% would do so – 87% preferred to starve… Macaques who had themselves been shocked in previous experiments were even less willing to pull the chain”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the study The Evolution of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod and William D. Hamilton, it is acknowledged that cooperation is a common intra- and inter-species phenomenon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Building on Robert Trivers’ theories, Axelrod and Hamilton used the Prisoner’s Dilemma game to suggest a possible mechanism for the evolution of cooperation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tit-for-tat mechanism which had great success during these experiments is quite comparable to Trivers’ idea of reciprocal altruism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, the conclusion of the study states that:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Darwin’s emphasis on individual advantage has been formalized in terms of game theory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This establishes conditions under which cooperation based on reciprocity can evolve.”</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 17.0pt; margin-right: 42.5pt; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In some situations it seems clear that people will cooperate and in some they will act in their own isolated self-interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, there are numerous variables which will affect this, in addition to the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personalities, values and beliefs, among other things, will all play a part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in relation to the more general situation, could the political and economic status quo of the day play a part?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There seems to be no question about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Media and government have always been hugely influential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The influence of the experiments at RAND mentioned earlier is still being felt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paranoid world view embodied in these experiments has sat at the heart of western capitalist institutions for several decades, especially so in 1980s Britain and America and also, even more tragically, in Pinochet’s Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet despite this, people have continued to cooperate in many circumstances despite encouragement, sometimes forceful and violent, to behave otherwise.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As mentioned earlier in relation to the P.J Richerson et al study Cultural Evolution of Human Cooperation, “Institutions matter”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are implications for human cooperation which depend on the institutions under which the behaviour occurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Politics, media and social norms will influence individual behaviour to a greater or lesser extent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as we note the general tone of self-interested individualism presented to us by politicians and the media today, it can be no coincidence that this view of humanity has filtered into everyday thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where institutions themselves come from is a complex subject which has only comparatively recently come to be understood, but societies and communities probably began to develop early in the evolution of human beings as a consequence of the development of the human brain.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As the human brain began to get larger, human females in response had to give birth earlier and earlier in the development of the child since as the brain got larger, the more difficult the childbirth became.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This in turn meant that human babies were born helpless and remained so for a relatively long time (a number of years).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human babies were also born without a large amount of instinctive knowledge and behaviour and thus had to be taught by earlier generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Extended family units remained together for this purpose and as the amount and type of knowledge required changed down the generations, societies and communities built up to meet this need.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A general history of human institutions throughout the centuries is not the aim of this blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different people in different places have come up with different solutions to challenges they have faced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But obviously, as we see all over the world today, institutions also have the potential to oppress a majority and work in the interests of a minority of individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an example, capitalism has seized on Darwin’s ideas and bent them to its own ends, with Social Darwinism as the result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, the ideas of the mathematicians at RAND were also used to strengthen the grip of capitalism and to try to cement in the human consciousness the ideas of all-against-all individual self-interest on which capitalism thrives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Capitalism requires division, greed and inequality in order to exist and the ideas which came out of RAND to influence neoliberal thought provided what appeared to be a reasoned mathematical basis for these ideas, even though the models relied on initial assumptions which proved to be untrue.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Opposition to these ideas has taken many forms, from changing the state to better manage capitalism, to the abolition of capitalism and the establishment of a workers’ state, to the abolition of both capitalism and the state, and it is against these ideas that the human nature argument is brought to bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The argument is thought to be simple and self-evident but relies on a mixture of erroneous assumptions and institutional propaganda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Capital has long used a mixture of these arguments and coercion by law and state violence to reinforce the status quo and to suppress opposition in all its forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet human beings, while generally living under its yoke, continue to defy such coercive violence all over the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why should this be?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Peter Kropotkin argued in Mutual Aid that the natural tendency of human beings, far from being combat, opposition and violence, is one of cooperation and mutual aid and that mutual aid is the chief criterion of evolutionary success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kropotkin may have overstated his case somewhat, but he was certainly onto something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stephen Jay Gould points out that Kropotkin and other Russian intellectuals’ views about Darwin’s ideas and their generally Malthusian tone was coloured somewhat by the differences in culture and their experiences in Russia, in contrast to Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace’s life experience in an imperial, industrial and strongly capitalist Britain.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Since this time, we have seen the ideas of altruism and cooperation studied in more detail in evolutionary terms and have found that humans, primates and many less cerebrally complex forms cooperate extensively, with both related and unrelated individuals and that humans and primates also have a biological predisposition towards altruism and even heroism.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It would seem that this innate tendency is not exclusively a product of culture, but culture and experience is able to build on, develop and change the nature and frequency of display of these tendencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the question should not really be “How can we make this or that idea work with human nature?” but “How can human nature help us make these ideas work?” or “What aspect of human nature do we feel we should encourage?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The ideals of capitalism have been responsible for a great deal of human suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concentration of wealth and property, exploitation of labour, the use of land for profit, the suppression of opposition by violence, the exploitation of democracy, control of information, the enormous gap between rich and poor, and surpluses of food and medicine for the rich while millions of the poorest die of malnutrition and disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, attempts to oppose this system using the state have also led to oppression, poverty, injustice and violence– all of the crimes of which capital is guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such regimes have proven to be twisted caricatures of the ideals of the left, however well-meaning their creators were originally.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So, if capitalist and communist regimes inevitably lead to oppression, then how can both be opposed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can the solution be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both types of regime require the control of the majority by a minority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both require strict rule of law and coercion by violence to run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both, at their heart, serve the interests of an elite against that of the masses, and so both need to use ideas of paranoia, suspicion and, ultimately, violent suppression to achieve their goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the reasons that paranoia, suspicion and violence are needed must be removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power and control by an elite must be replaced with true direct democracy in which every person can participate and in which every person can have a stake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tyranny of capital must be removed; nobody’s labour should be exploited by anybody else for their gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No more must wealth be concentrated in the hands of the few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wealth must belong to all.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Human beings have the capacity both for individual self-interest and for cooperation, altruism and heroism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is culture, education and the situation in which they live which determines which aspects of human nature will manifest themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Society itself and the institutions within it are hugely influential in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooperation, altruism and heroism must be valued above individual self-interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By creating a society where this is so, we can remove the distinction between cooperation and altruism, and self-interest, and make true cooperation between everybody in the interest of all.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">References and further reading/watching:</div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Adam Curtis – The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom? (2007)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAE-xqFr0iQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAE-xqFr0iQ</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Open University Reith Lectures 2002 page on the Prisoner’s Dilemma as proposed by John Nash <a href="http://www.open2.net/trust/dilemma/dilemma1.htm">http://www.open2.net/trust/dilemma/dilemma1.htm</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Robert Trivers - <span class="citation">The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism (1971) </span><a href="http://pages.towson.edu/jpomy/behavioralecon/Trivers71.pdf">http://pages.towson.edu/jpomy/behavioralecon/Trivers71.pdf</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Livescience.com article on cooperation and altruism among chimpanzees <a href="http://www.livescience.com/4515-selfless-chimps-shed-light-evolution-altruism.html">http://www.livescience.com/4515-selfless-chimps-shed-light-evolution-altruism.html</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>P.J Richerson et al – Cultural Evolution of Human Cooperation (2003) <a href="http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/anthro/faculty/boyd/RichersonBoydHenrich%20Dahlem%2002.pdf">http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/anthro/faculty/boyd/RichersonBoydHenrich%20Dahlem%2002.pdf</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>R. Axelrod and W.D. Hamilton – The Evolution of Cooperation <a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Eaxe/research/Axelrod%20and%20Hamilton%20EC%201981.pdf">http://www-personal.umich.edu/~axe/research/Axelrod%20and%20Hamilton%20EC%201981.pdf</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan – Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors: The Search For Who We Are (1992)</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Michael Crichton – The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1996)</li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Peter Kropotkin – Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (1902) <a href="http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/kropotkin-peter/1902/mutual-aid/ch07.htm">http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/kropotkin-peter/1902/mutual-aid/ch07.htm</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Stephen Jay Gould – Kropotkin Was No Crackpot (1997) <a href="http://marxists.org/subject/science/essays/kropotkin.htm">http://marxists.org/subject/science/essays/kropotkin.htm</a></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Wikipedia page on Anarchist Communism <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchist_communism">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchist_communism</a></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-18498936068042468572011-08-07T04:43:00.000-07:002011-08-07T04:43:14.102-07:00Some thoughts about the Tottenham civil unrest<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">The community and the police have been sitting on a tinderbox for years and the most recent spark has set the whole thing alight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The background to this isn’t just <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/05/man-shot-police-london-arrest?">one shooting</a>, but years of heavy-handed and racist policing coupled with decades of economic neglect and a plethora of politicians from all parties cocking a deaf ear to the problems of real people everywhere.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Inevitably this will continue over the coming days and weeks as police statements are reported as fact and the mainstream media chooses to prioritize pictures of fires and stories of looting over the real grievances which have sparked the events of Saturday night and Sunday morning.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This has happened before in Tottenham, in 1985, after police <a href="http://archive.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=17880">killed a woman in her home during an unauthorized search</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems the attitude of the police towards local residents has changed little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another shady killing of a local resident has been followed by a protest demanding answers and then the apparent <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcwUyZ68C0k">assault by police with batons of a 16-year-old female protestor</a>.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">The wider context of all this is that such communities have no confidence in the police, who continue to push the lie that they are the benevolent protectors of the public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/03/deaths-police-custody-officers-convicted">Guardian article</a> last December points out that since 1998, 333 people have died in police custody and not one police officer has been successfully prosecuted, with the IPCC saying that jurors’ inability to convict police officers is a problem.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Add to this such high-profile cases as Blair Peach, Cynthia Jarrett, Jean-Charles de Menezes, Ian Tomlinson and Smiley Culture, heavy-handed policing of legitimate protest (including duping the Fortnum and Mason protestors into a mass arrest) and excessive sentences relating to the likes of Charlie Gilmour and Johnny Marbles when compared to similar offences, while <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8597217.stm">police officer Delroy Smellie is acquitted of an assault</a> which took place in full view of the cameras and it becomes easier and easier to understand where this lack of trust in a police force which seems to be a law unto itself actually comes from.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">And when this is set against the background of economic deprivation in such communities as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/video/2011/jul/31/haringey-youth-club-closures-video">cuts to local services continue</a> while banks carry on handing out billions in bonuses and corporations are making billions more in profit as working people are pushed to the wall, it will come as little surprise if this weekend’s events are repeated up and down the country over the coming months and years.</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-49358459665586876682011-06-27T14:31:00.000-07:002011-06-27T14:31:58.047-07:00My Most Important Games Ever - Part V<div style="text-align: justify;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Read part 4 <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-most-important-games-ever-part-iv.html">here</a>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For the final part of this series I’d intended to focus on two games, the two most important games I’ve ever played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I quickly realized that I’d need to focus on each game in turn, so this part will focus on one game, and the next part will focus on the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of the games almost completely define the time in my life that I first played them, and their feel, atmosphere and the music chimed perfectly for me at the time.</div><div> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Nostalgia is a difficult emotion to describe, but everyone knows how it feels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In its literal form, nostalgia is severe homesickness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word comes from a contraction of the Greek nostos (returning home) algos (ache, pain), but is now more commonly used to describe an interest in or longing for an often idealized past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to say why these games have this effect on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone with an attachment to something from their past knows how powerful this emotion can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best I can do to describe it is to ask you to think of something that may affect you the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be a TV programme, an album or a toy from childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This feeling is essentially what drove me to write this series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, just the music alone from the C64 version of Uridium could almost make me cry with longing to go back to a time I remember barely anything about.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I think nostalgia reflects more on the person than it does on a certain point, or the comparative differences between two points, in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The longing is less for the general “time” than it is for the person you were at that time, and for the experiences you had then that have helped define who you are now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of nostalgia seems to be for childhood and it’s no coincidence that this is the time in our lives when we have the least pressure, the least responsibilities, and the time when we are most impressionable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve wondered whether this sort of nostalgia affects us in the present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tend not to play any modern computer games and I don’t really know for sure why I don’t find them appealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t really accept the argument that games were just<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“better back then”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This strikes me as a conservative, overly sentimental and overly simplistic explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only conclude that the answer lies within me, or rather, in the difference between the me of then and the me of now.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Some of the games I’ve mentioned so far haven’t aged too well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are just as playable now as they were then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final two games though are the most special to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most important of all that I’ve played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is the first of those two...</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-IJHqXaBs5u_2EsmhTJILOmlEL6I5vgEy8REoM3y3TlblARdQlcgxPl0ClkZsep9K4JXb254XsuP6s9t-_YoY-gy4AHuaHiMM-jDKMtsru0WEKB0ftO2Euk2Q7z1MKYu-zWTNni2_AM/s1600/wolfenstein-3d1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-IJHqXaBs5u_2EsmhTJILOmlEL6I5vgEy8REoM3y3TlblARdQlcgxPl0ClkZsep9K4JXb254XsuP6s9t-_YoY-gy4AHuaHiMM-jDKMtsru0WEKB0ftO2Euk2Q7z1MKYu-zWTNni2_AM/s200/wolfenstein-3d1.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolfenstein 3D</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Back in 1993 I’d been playing PC games for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d just bought my uncle’s Amiga and he’d replaced that with a 486 DX-based PC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember playing games like Dune II, Alone in the Dark, the LucasArts adventure games and X-Wing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PC gaming was starting to come into its own and the capabilities of the machine were starting to make the Amiga look like old news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not long before this, a game called Wolfenstein 3D had come out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the first of its kind really. I’d never played anything like it before; a game where you saw everything from a first-person perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And shot things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the first REAL first-person shooter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first we had to put up with using the PC speaker for sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just beeps and pops and clicks and not much else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But some time after getting the game we got hold of a cheap Soundblaster card and the game felt like it had been transformed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now there were proper gun sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chunky clanking sounds when the metal doors opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a small range of speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game took on a real atmosphere and you thought “How can they improve on this?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sequel/prequel, Spear of Destiny, was more of the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little more than an add-on pack really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different, slightly harder levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvmb2w0tGPib75LVKBoaSIpa1SvQwz3YvAYa3AFvU5XyJz4veL0mfkExsl8gqTMgsy4ls1c8WwEVxdtChchlK1RUiLDSXoESOHlL-maf_eXBFrjVzgvtbvJ0w9wbPIJl-AUkn-rgxGr0/s1600/old_games_doom1_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvmb2w0tGPib75LVKBoaSIpa1SvQwz3YvAYa3AFvU5XyJz4veL0mfkExsl8gqTMgsy4ls1c8WwEVxdtChchlK1RUiLDSXoESOHlL-maf_eXBFrjVzgvtbvJ0w9wbPIJl-AUkn-rgxGr0/s200/old_games_doom1_big.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It begins</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But then in late 1993 something happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A game was released which changed the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d heard rumours of a follow-up to Wolf3D for a while but I wasn’t online at the time so I had no access to all the chatter on the BBSs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at first, when we finally got our shareware copy of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Doom</b>, I didn’t know what to make of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew everything had changed as soon as I saw it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was such a leap forward from Wolf3D graphically, sonically and gameplay-wise that it seemed almost miraculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same basic game concept (find the exit, find the key, kill everything that moves) was taken to another level entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maps were far richer in detail and texture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walls could be at angles instead of always at 90 degrees to each other on a grid system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Floors and ceilings were textured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were stairs and sloping floors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ceilings at variable heights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outdoor areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the lighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lighting was used as an active part of the game, with often terrifying results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Graphically the game is almost a literal work of art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot was drawn or painted but several monsters were actually modelled in clay by or latex and then digitized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The implementation of stereo sound allowed the programmers to use sound as more than just audible window-dressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sound was used to scare the player, or to provide the player with information, such as when a monster was nearby or when a switch or button had triggered a distant door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The direction and distance of a sound could be roughly determined by the player by its volume and panning position.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5pvVmrNvvdNHd1ELLhcR_ekm9QMwLiuigcH7rIDssK1A4y1zsptW28AgNHkYsmDxA1K7UOgoblDJEpSn_v_yDkNlw4C5bC88Ohx2xA6REs_4DKeD3g-5Wec70rJLmqr_4DOJcx8OwoQ/s1600/doomflash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5pvVmrNvvdNHd1ELLhcR_ekm9QMwLiuigcH7rIDssK1A4y1zsptW28AgNHkYsmDxA1K7UOgoblDJEpSn_v_yDkNlw4C5bC88Ohx2xA6REs_4DKeD3g-5Wec70rJLmqr_4DOJcx8OwoQ/s200/doomflash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ow</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">All of this combined to create a hugely impressive and immersive game world; one where atmosphere, gameplay and scares combined brilliantly to push the game along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this is set to one of the most iconic game soundtracks ever, supplied by now living-legend Bobby Prince.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music suits the atmosphere of the game perfectly and is often more than a little reminiscent of popular heavy metal tracks.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYl1EtTYjGO35rmbOHNJlWWP7KtK1N80cXs9oHva2kVGftnfNiGo1KAAt1u6somjBZIqaOWLCwIQ36Y4SYLch_dgV6Hr0BkIXNeNI92SG4zsOzyYePZqwh_Vqt5JqXLuouoMnKx0-62Y/s1600/screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYl1EtTYjGO35rmbOHNJlWWP7KtK1N80cXs9oHva2kVGftnfNiGo1KAAt1u6somjBZIqaOWLCwIQ36Y4SYLch_dgV6Hr0BkIXNeNI92SG4zsOzyYePZqwh_Vqt5JqXLuouoMnKx0-62Y/s200/screenshot.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blake Stone</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Doom engine was a marvel of the age in gaming terms, a wonder of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the shareware version was released it caused a sensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a rush to download the freely distributed first episode from BBSs on the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First impressions for me were shock and amazement at how far gaming had come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>X-Wing from earlier the same year was hugely impressive as a space “sim” but it didn’t reinvent the wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Games like that were being released all the time, albeit few as good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this – it was relatively new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wolf3D laid the groundwork and Doom was going to build a cathedral on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In comparison, the same month that Doom was released, Apogee put out JAM Productions’ Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a decent game based on the Wolf3D engine, it just wasn’t in the same league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for years after, games struggled to be in Doom’s league.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The storyline (or lack of it) was a major point of controversy during development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Director Tom Hall had written a design document he called the Doom Bible containing an outline of a detailed narrative and several playable characters for the game, while John Carmack favoured a much simpler, stripped down design.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hall was eventually forced to resign from id, and many of the ideas from the Doom Bible later appeared in Rise of the Triad, which Hall helped design for Apogee.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs3Gxq_xbF9uY5mysqQGy_ZaDaIXBopcuWwEDp3I2I86VvdIqqDoDhyQ83OVBezo9qFY0ufkr_o7EVySK-mAedlh7X5gehv8DXM23E_xGOjRFjxFv0GyqOPD5ZlGyzkBhtnJLEG2IEqY/s1600/doom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs3Gxq_xbF9uY5mysqQGy_ZaDaIXBopcuWwEDp3I2I86VvdIqqDoDhyQ83OVBezo9qFY0ufkr_o7EVySK-mAedlh7X5gehv8DXM23E_xGOjRFjxFv0GyqOPD5ZlGyzkBhtnJLEG2IEqY/s200/doom.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh-oh</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Certain games require a tight narrative structure and some can get away with having little story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some games excel due to a lack of narrative detail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One example mentioned in this series would be Elite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lack of any real story gave these games a very open, sandboxy feel, allowing the player to fill in their own story as they played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doom is slightly different as it lacks the open-world aspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, Doom is as linear as gaming gets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the lack of real detail helped to push the game along, and helps immerse YOU in the game world rather than have you act out the actions of a named protagonist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything about the game, graphics, sound, music, the mindblowing game engine, and just the right amount of storytelling, really pulled you into the game and helped you believe you were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what gaming is supposed to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not supposed to be a passive, detached experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an interactive medium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game provided moments of real foreboding, when you went into a dark room with no idea what could be lurking there, and moments of real fright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It tapped into the subconscious desire to be scared into exhilaration in the same way a good horror movie does, and provided interactivity beyond the scope of films, in a way only computer games are capable of.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipl9Wk4vMj6qcXwFKQL32W46c3Dqo0uLh_L5xHHkQNacE3_HzpjzmY92LvNNJYd9ZKhx-Es_PoUavOyeR_8OL-EVaLXKalRjj1f-YqjGAnuZeXWNX-q_n_vK4gl1Ltrg-8NqgPc-ulKm4/s1600/doom2-01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipl9Wk4vMj6qcXwFKQL32W46c3Dqo0uLh_L5xHHkQNacE3_HzpjzmY92LvNNJYd9ZKhx-Es_PoUavOyeR_8OL-EVaLXKalRjj1f-YqjGAnuZeXWNX-q_n_vK4gl1Ltrg-8NqgPc-ulKm4/s200/doom2-01.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need more rockets</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Big movie fans tend to get snobbish about games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They might as well get snobbish about the LP record format.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Games are a medium unto themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Movies, games and music can never be compared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ultimate aim of each is to entertain, but that is such a broad purview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three also often tell stories and it seems to me that here lies the movie industry’s largest constraint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When looked at this way, almost the sole expectation of a film is that it tell a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can argue about the art all you want but if a film doesn’t tell a story it’s probably a failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Games don’t have this constraint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are perfectly capable of telling stories, but it can often be at the expense of engaging gameplay, as anybody who has sat through Metal Gear Solid 2’s cutscenes will know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where some games excel is when they deliberately <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t</i> tell a story, where they provide the world and the atmosphere for the gamer to tell their own story, and to play again and this time tell a different story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only limit is the player’s imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the hands of a good developer this can be dynamite, and you get true works of genius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Elite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And like Doom.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And as if all this wasn’t enough, Doom also popularized multiplayer gaming over the LAN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the first 3D game to allow friends to play against each other over the network, and actually coined the term “deathmatch”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doom helped to bring gaming to a wider audience through a mixture of innovation, excellent design and no shortage of controversy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Religious groups attacked the game for its violence and overtly satanic imagery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One level in an early version of the game lowered a maze-like set of walls to reveal that it’s was shaped like a swastika (this was later altered).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_rBh0Kcu-KpCBvSGyHTK9nL8odNmfmJUqX8z9RHEpNDJwABmQjcl3Ut2V7iTULgpOyUiJ-SGyVi-ZJBn8l7eirQxGAxbRKYfxu74Fwpbys-kSnoY00791Y7V4RiJuXBJMj3S5p05xKU/s1600/Billdoom.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_rBh0Kcu-KpCBvSGyHTK9nL8odNmfmJUqX8z9RHEpNDJwABmQjcl3Ut2V7iTULgpOyUiJ-SGyVi-ZJBn8l7eirQxGAxbRKYfxu74Fwpbys-kSnoY00791Y7V4RiJuXBJMj3S5p05xKU/s200/Billdoom.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kill Bill</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">By 1995 it was thought the shareware version of Doom was installed on more machines worldwide than Microsoft’s game-changing operating system Windows ’95.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bill Gates even gave a presentation superimposed on the Doom world to advertise Windows ’95 as a gaming platform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Workplaces were formulating policies designed to curtail the playing of the game on company networks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A worldwide community built up dedicated to modifying and creating new levels for Doom, made easier because the developers had actually designed the game to be easily modified.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For a while, the first-person shooter genre was fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following Doom and its sequel Doom II were games like the average Rise of the Triad, the half-decent Heretic, the half-boring Hexen, the over-the-top Duke Nukem 3D, id’s own fantastic Quake and Quake II, the wonderful Unreal, Valve’s brilliant Halflife and at the back-end of the 90s came Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament, essentially network-only FPS games, with no real single-player mode to speak of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the FPS hasn’t stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nowadays it seems to be everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that Doom’s legacy today is for every major developer to have its own online post-apocalyptic brownscape, or military grey world, populated by 12-year-old boys with headsets who seem more interested in holding contests to find out who can say “faggot” the most in a 15-minute period, turning the whole experience into nothing more than a long-distance bellowing contest.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And my memories of Doom’s latest sequel, the third in the series, leave me with just one impression of the game: how beige everything seemed to be and, following the success of the Halflife franchise, how by-the-numbers it felt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least until the game crashed and dumped me back on my XP desktop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t reload.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I downloaded Legacy* and played the first two again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And remembered why I started playing games in the first place.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Legacy is an enhanced source-port of Doom. Get it <a href="http://doomlegacy.sourceforge.net/">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-15486125814331420872011-06-14T14:39:00.000-07:002011-06-14T15:04:53.153-07:00My Most Important Games Ever - Part IV<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Part III can be read <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-most-important-games-ever-part-iii.html">here</a>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VjaBcKYdaPdAWBgR-DoQJU8XLybOfUYYAG6tvW_njY7o43L3cjxaAq2wn2nkHy3MrsbpITSy9FvcqYWMgDBYqCNHla9PmlP1DlDHOrKhdGJl12NdRIWDvYOVluk7Vd9uXJewlDZOjdw/s1600/69786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VjaBcKYdaPdAWBgR-DoQJU8XLybOfUYYAG6tvW_njY7o43L3cjxaAq2wn2nkHy3MrsbpITSy9FvcqYWMgDBYqCNHla9PmlP1DlDHOrKhdGJl12NdRIWDvYOVluk7Vd9uXJewlDZOjdw/s200/69786.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5UogDubzFja2kBqbauKugXuYq8YFg2m9VVTk4pASLnucSfkSAAbWggt4HlY11HMUu2-qeJDPMQRtUnRVMIlDhBdGuld3-iapZadOU9ZMom7RIDJPoCYpGCXxW54yHGVfamySfnShyphenhyphenP0/s1600/69785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5UogDubzFja2kBqbauKugXuYq8YFg2m9VVTk4pASLnucSfkSAAbWggt4HlY11HMUu2-qeJDPMQRtUnRVMIlDhBdGuld3-iapZadOU9ZMom7RIDJPoCYpGCXxW54yHGVfamySfnShyphenhyphenP0/s200/69785.jpg" width="200" /></a>First up something slightly obscure from the 8-bit era. The standard for the football management genre at this time was, not totally surprisingly, Football Manager. It was pretty much the first game of its kind and many at the time thought it was the best 8-bit football management game of them all. But they were wrong. Because <b>Advanced Soccer Simulator</b> was better. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_996392213"> </a><a href="http://youtu.be/vRNaMxYEjMY">Better graphics, better sound and a tougher learning curve, with quicker gameplay</a> (i.e no pauses to calculate the league table) and the ability for 8 players to play in hotseat mode. The game came out q while after Football Manager, at the arse-end of the 80s which probably helps explain why it was so overlooked. Sound consisted of pleasant bips and beeps when a key is pressed or the ball is kicked, and when a goal is scored (or missed) during the highlights sequence the sound seems to be a variety of bird-calls, which is simultaneously odd and brilliant. The goal nets and ball are fantastically drawn and the crowd in the stands is animated. Also a bit strangely, English and Scottish teams are mixed together in the same four-division pyramid. Pitch colour was selectable from 7 options and you start out at the bottom of the league pyramid whichever team you choose to play as. Grab an emulator and have a go.</div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Next is quite possibly the first Spectrum game I ever played. <b>Witchfiend</b> came free with the machine and it <a href="http://youtu.be/ZXXsPsYL20o">wasn’t a complicated game</a>. It probably wasn’t even that good. It did have lovely sound. But along with the other free games (mainly Treasure Island and Punchy; more in a minute) it defined my first few months of owning a Spectrum. It’s a pretty basic go-from-screen-to-screen-collecting-stuff-while-avoiding-monsters-and-obstacles kind of thing, although playing it now I wonder how the king ever managed to get around his palace. Presumably everyone in this universe has the power of flight.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-SO9BoxVMqOYVFKQyQLDrLvGzc-krk_GQyulsvlBI3LjsqUitTUfrT-xHU89vC9MPdX7zWAHcKCb9g7Hr4r1Z43Z7YwIF7i98aeMGZi1ClULkINRuMqzN43StAb9UrtW0vLGa4UjL8A/s1600/showscreen.cgi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-SO9BoxVMqOYVFKQyQLDrLvGzc-krk_GQyulsvlBI3LjsqUitTUfrT-xHU89vC9MPdX7zWAHcKCb9g7Hr4r1Z43Z7YwIF7i98aeMGZi1ClULkINRuMqzN43StAb9UrtW0vLGa4UjL8A/s200/showscreen.cgi.gif" width="200" /></a>As for <b>Punchy</b>, that game was a <a href="http://youtu.be/FFpp547XHnI">grim psychedelic nightmare</a> plucked from the darkest corner of the world’s most acid-burned imagination. As a kid I had no idea what it was about. The music was odd, the digitized speech was terrifying, obstacles were puzzling and the main sprite appeared to be a horrifically deformed semi-human with a death-wish and a fetish for flying sausages. But when you were 7, trying to see what was on the next screen was compelling. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nYrfabcNE6DTa-kTTESWczMi4K1IebBe2u_j9UqKS_i6GrvfJHOOaN_mbyRM9i4SrIfhMdoJXEp1UoNP3-a-l8RgiWH2CY9ncuVCTC1SkuN9t1koxj3jimx2tUxnTF7_wH9OLUhWyzg/s1600/1261_0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nYrfabcNE6DTa-kTTESWczMi4K1IebBe2u_j9UqKS_i6GrvfJHOOaN_mbyRM9i4SrIfhMdoJXEp1UoNP3-a-l8RgiWH2CY9ncuVCTC1SkuN9t1koxj3jimx2tUxnTF7_wH9OLUhWyzg/s200/1261_0.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREL5ZUDzLl-C6qhFv9urmYgZXpsrSDlb5d6Efx1SQX8xmNN_tPcoJXe-WXA4WrlRzkeEBKZn1EoO9Seqij7LhD3HLj1oakq1d5fehduk7ReUUxEzp7hewDIpCWh6P66jWR9RiqoGUn_g/s1600/anworld1_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREL5ZUDzLl-C6qhFv9urmYgZXpsrSDlb5d6Efx1SQX8xmNN_tPcoJXe-WXA4WrlRzkeEBKZn1EoO9Seqij7LhD3HLj1oakq1d5fehduk7ReUUxEzp7hewDIpCWh6P66jWR9RiqoGUn_g/s200/anworld1_001.png" width="200" /></a>Next, onto the Amiga. This game had a massive impact on me when I first saw it. From the mind-blowing intro sequence to the brilliant graphics and animation during the game itself, <b>Another World</b> broke new ground in gaming. The use of cutscenes and the <a href="http://youtu.be/Zgkf6wooDmw">cinematic gameplay</a> have been enormously influential. Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear Solid fame cites this game as one of his main influences. It plays like an interactive movie and for the time it looks breathtaking. The mix of platform action and puzzles kept the game interesting, although trial and error could sometimes be necessary. The multifunctional weapon was a real innovation. The game screen is intentionally Spartan, with no HUD at all. The idea here is immersion, tension and atmosphere, and all the more impressive that the game was conceived, designed and programmed by one man. The game might be a bit short but it’s a good challenge. Play the Amiga version – you won’t be disappointed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnojTzE8DshwRN8IdVE9uUBAM-MTvHe7wThEZcX-5d7YLIPy1pMAMyhlxAiZCG-I-BiGclJ0OTUxGTHU2lpbyXZmTr0Fd7XxZ9L9tid9PxqFMI8je2LHEASKXRYiBxnkJ_Urkbn5xDrk/s1600/cm93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnojTzE8DshwRN8IdVE9uUBAM-MTvHe7wThEZcX-5d7YLIPy1pMAMyhlxAiZCG-I-BiGclJ0OTUxGTHU2lpbyXZmTr0Fd7XxZ9L9tid9PxqFMI8je2LHEASKXRYiBxnkJ_Urkbn5xDrk/s200/cm93.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IQpfktXjetICx-VtzF6HJeFEc__3nFB5ellaY85oiC9K4MO6DyF4I-Wpjc6xsG-pk0t2tN1OqNf3dZzQtHmKMSBO8KlLHymK9e-qjhwiIlmZHhwLlUoqAlN3QH8AcdtMEqGo6BCrJUw/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-12-29+at+22.54.38.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IQpfktXjetICx-VtzF6HJeFEc__3nFB5ellaY85oiC9K4MO6DyF4I-Wpjc6xsG-pk0t2tN1OqNf3dZzQtHmKMSBO8KlLHymK9e-qjhwiIlmZHhwLlUoqAlN3QH8AcdtMEqGo6BCrJUw/s200/Screen+shot+2010-12-29+at+22.54.38.png" width="200" /></a>Next for the Amiga is probably the granddaddy of all modern football management games, <b>Championship Manager ’93</b>. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of this game to the genre. The first game in the series, just prior to this one, seemed to be stuck between worlds – not quite as basic as the 8-bit games before it, but not quite as detailed and polished as some 16-bit contemporaries. <a href="http://youtu.be/n6BXZGel6bM">Thisgame</a>, however, saw that change, bringing real player names, the Premier League and foreign players into the mix, and for realism and challenge, contemporaries were left floundering on the ground like Titus Bramble. It was by far the best game of its kind around at the time and it still holds up today. For me, the game delivered on the promise of an earlier title: Tracksuit Manager by Goliath Games. I think there’s a clear influence there, especially with the text commentary during the match. After this game, the competition were always trying to catch up and they never quite managed it. This game started a dynasty that has lasted almost two decades and is still going strong.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">N.B. Modern Championship Manager titles aren’t related to this series. Following a split with Eidos, Sports Interactive took their game and renamed it Football Manager.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQI5RYc3JqJgUXt3WqoML6Myr2BtoPs4g01ts0FtQciFmnRSNZEYDI29YLKbpU0_RmZ6CUOnMpUA5qjbeleDlejYobCS5a9_Xlm0FsUcyAkCMvb76_AccT1c7W-6dKAWezofJn148fCSc/s1600/Cannon_Fodder_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQI5RYc3JqJgUXt3WqoML6Myr2BtoPs4g01ts0FtQciFmnRSNZEYDI29YLKbpU0_RmZ6CUOnMpUA5qjbeleDlejYobCS5a9_Xlm0FsUcyAkCMvb76_AccT1c7W-6dKAWezofJn148fCSc/s200/Cannon_Fodder_2.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNrqOlYmN3luU6PV94TKf9L5IGv2dur2uXd_KTLmDP9VSJ2-PDiMyO792h4HNt5TiVXoiykCmRnp43C1cti-iapE-CTEFWJJZhnBEruKKoSCYaSakaE5b5kogaGgyjjaC8m_x1tVr8hE/s1600/cannonfodder.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNrqOlYmN3luU6PV94TKf9L5IGv2dur2uXd_KTLmDP9VSJ2-PDiMyO792h4HNt5TiVXoiykCmRnp43C1cti-iapE-CTEFWJJZhnBEruKKoSCYaSakaE5b5kogaGgyjjaC8m_x1tVr8hE/s200/cannonfodder.gif" width="200" /></a>Finally for this part is another Amiga classic. Displaying Sensible Software’s special sense of humour and uncanny ability to make wickedly playable games, <b>Cannon Fodder</b> is simultaneously ridiculous and very smart. Much too smart for the media of the time, who were outraged by the game’s over the top comic violence and seemingly casual attitude to war, all clearly satirical. <a href="http://youtu.be/iJB_1e-MlyY">The game</a>’s sense of humour can be a bit dark; the main screen is a grassy hill with gravestones representing each soldier you’ve lost, while a queue of new recruits lines up in front of it, and total casualties are listed like a football score at the top (HOME : AWAY). The game’s music is fantastic, going from ridiculous to poignant and back again several times. Each individual soldier has a name and this makes you genuinely care about their survival – losing one can be a moving experience when the casualty list is shown after each mission. Graphically the game looks great, sharing a style with Sensible Soccer and Powermonger, and it’s wildly addictive. One of the best games on the Amiga. Ever.</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-23122769366418795312011-06-03T14:00:00.000-07:002011-06-22T02:29:48.356-07:00My Most Important Games Ever - Part III<div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Part II of the series is available to view <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-most-important-games-ever-part-ii.html">here</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahE-mHKMii29AsIxCU8e2xyb72AZk5lmGUS893eQtUzf45ZyP0HzEDG4vESilNZIsK-jEFmLoZcnZc-mqhXuqpiQM14CJv1x3bTrI9MZqztqvKw9IwqyzIdNSH3ZiT9aIF9-9Tzh3Opo/s1600/clip_image016_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahE-mHKMii29AsIxCU8e2xyb72AZk5lmGUS893eQtUzf45ZyP0HzEDG4vESilNZIsK-jEFmLoZcnZc-mqhXuqpiQM14CJv1x3bTrI9MZqztqvKw9IwqyzIdNSH3ZiT9aIF9-9Tzh3Opo/s200/clip_image016_0006.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExPnQYPGJExxrrg-cbid6dSIyFEAWjczNXltCyHgRHlf9-f755BrZ-y9H3nu-MK9kW61yldTlltNbOS1rpf1R6HlU769eX-j7kJzWFtpBBeRNPe8hpfPWJxJ96IZIOyWzelwM0-gGwMs/s1600/uridium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExPnQYPGJExxrrg-cbid6dSIyFEAWjczNXltCyHgRHlf9-f755BrZ-y9H3nu-MK9kW61yldTlltNbOS1rpf1R6HlU769eX-j7kJzWFtpBBeRNPe8hpfPWJxJ96IZIOyWzelwM0-gGwMs/s200/uridium.jpg" width="200" /></a>The first game of part 3 is a Commodore 64 classic. <b>Uridium</b> is a side-scrolling space-based shooter. The graphics are beautifully drawn and the main ship sprite’s animation is brilliant, but what really sticks out for me and takes me right back to being 6 again, and sitting in front of an old beige and fake wood portable and the breadbox C64 at my nan’s is the <a href="http://youtu.be/Ooby_M9XwUY">simply stunning title music</a>. It’s so good I could cry. It still sounds fresh today. The C64’s SID chip was a marvel back then and nothing has ever sounded like it. Sound, and especially music, were just unique on the C64. I think truly creative original music for computer games is something that’s being lost as studios cram more and more licensed or professional studio-recorded tracks onto their DVDs and Blu-Rays. I’ll probably do a bit on game music at some point in the future…</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpviXfsqbzEu8BbYQFd4BAe40w3owfipPDHWvivMgK8Rd6naJ5pebudJP1Zcfxj2CInDRRA6aUpI2g8ESWnXuC1s9X5JRvUp8uz4cF5E0RViRCOmcBECDGkr2f9FnN1gPEIl48WO8Ng54/s1600/_-Barry-McGuigan-Championship-Boxing-C64-_.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpviXfsqbzEu8BbYQFd4BAe40w3owfipPDHWvivMgK8Rd6naJ5pebudJP1Zcfxj2CInDRRA6aUpI2g8ESWnXuC1s9X5JRvUp8uz4cF5E0RViRCOmcBECDGkr2f9FnN1gPEIl48WO8Ng54/s200/_-Barry-McGuigan-Championship-Boxing-C64-_.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3V2wzdVgQdSdbIxPcgeq9MrDB973f7LH5ionXagACfSR4YhMnfl_-LeKKVAL_ubg9v9F0p3kbfXouvQjg5OpEJRhKL5c-SETwtgeuTL-pOJLmsSTx-udDH09EW3lZTdBUes3fxqSgbo/s1600/Barry_McGuigan_World_Championship_Boxing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3V2wzdVgQdSdbIxPcgeq9MrDB973f7LH5ionXagACfSR4YhMnfl_-LeKKVAL_ubg9v9F0p3kbfXouvQjg5OpEJRhKL5c-SETwtgeuTL-pOJLmsSTx-udDH09EW3lZTdBUes3fxqSgbo/s200/Barry_McGuigan_World_Championship_Boxing.png" width="200" /></a>I’m torn on the next game as to whether my fondest memories of it are from the C64 version or the Spectrum version. I played the C64 version of <b>Barry McGuigan World Championship Boxing</b> before the Speccy version. I loved the colourful graphics and the ability to customize your boxer’s race, hair colour, shorts and gloves colour, as well as their boxing style and personality. Using your created boxer, you worked your way up the world rankings to take on McGuigan himself. I got the Spectrum version for Christmas during the late 80s after the Mastertronic rerelease. The graphics and sound weren’t as good on the Speccy but the gameplay was still great. It was a good challenge too. There were 19 boxers to face in all, each with their own style and attributes, and some of them could be a right bastard to get past. But the satisfaction when you finally beat them made the hard work worth it. It was a bit of a shame though that when you finally beat Barry himself and became the champ you could only defend the belt against Barry. Ad nauseam. Until you topped his $13 million in prize money, which I never had the patience for. <a href="http://youtu.be/yq0vjFapJAA">Fights were atmospheric</a>, with an arena full of people, including camera flashes, and between rounds you were given an idea of the level of excitement among the spectators. It was simply the best boxing game around. I don’t think it was topped until the fairly recent release of the Fight Night series. Get an emulator and play it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuV4Y311BpTS-LJFKzvjOAVFjPO356j8UA2ReOeJLCKlLOjlwFSz-qReKVtD2776Cu4uGQvmvZ0jeu_PeVpV33cMd4ARXu1QiQqNcM2XXgLvjUdk8AOOcmxc9EoZjrGAEShXOkc2TESM/s1600/sensible_soccer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuV4Y311BpTS-LJFKzvjOAVFjPO356j8UA2ReOeJLCKlLOjlwFSz-qReKVtD2776Cu4uGQvmvZ0jeu_PeVpV33cMd4ARXu1QiQqNcM2XXgLvjUdk8AOOcmxc9EoZjrGAEShXOkc2TESM/s200/sensible_soccer.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX0jSwba2EBAec5QwaPnWa3ZLTxlUrQcd5lAwXcWz6XY67w46Csu8U8PaWByIBmQ2NfjcfnP1NfHNLOwgzXLx3ItFcDOpZLicBh9wE7LlHwKoA9kIqMWSb-5-5oga9hsXL5J_kE0UgMU/s1600/sensible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX0jSwba2EBAec5QwaPnWa3ZLTxlUrQcd5lAwXcWz6XY67w46Csu8U8PaWByIBmQ2NfjcfnP1NfHNLOwgzXLx3ItFcDOpZLicBh9wE7LlHwKoA9kIqMWSb-5-5oga9hsXL5J_kE0UgMU/s200/sensible.jpg" width="200" /></a>The next game is very, very special. I first saw it on my cousin’s Amiga. I thought the name was a bit stupid. <b>Sensible Soccer</b>? What did that mean? Then I saw how many teams there were. Something like 64 European club teams. A load of national teams. And a load of custom teams, some with brilliantly humorous names. And the kits could have stripes? Or hoops? Or sleeves, like Arsenal? Brilliant. And it was all editable? Then the match started and something hit me: football games had changed forever. This was a watershed moment in the history of gaming. There was nothing really like this. Kick-Off was like chickens on a pinball table. Emlyn Hughes was great, but it was slow and there weren’t many teams. But this was quick, intuitive, and wickedly playable. And it looked great. The cartoony players took a bit of getting used to but the pitch looked fantastic. Sliding tackles, diving headers, mad curling shots were all here and all easy to perform, yet hard enough to master that it kept you coming back. You could play a fast, possession-based passing game and it was a joy. <a href="http://youtu.be/kL2T4Yn2Tq8">The matches</a> had real atmosphere and a real tension if there was only a goal in it. And to top it all off, the music (by none other than Captain Sensible) is just brilliant. From the excellent title music as the opening credits rolled to the memorable menu music which takes me right back to spending hours in front of my uncle’s Amiga before I got my own. The game spawned a host of mostly rubbish clones, and several titles were added to the series, culminating in the release of Sensible World of Soccer, which is now available to play again on XBOX Live Arcade. It’s well worth getting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyVnLMWswuEIM6wJ0TQusBfLPXvVYqBiCZSRTZrF81G9-ivB4CO8YRMM8iTZnJeOPrux03pxHtOY3KMLJqRPONCD1imyrcP-5RKEIgblYnK2OmJG2FUn1dXZf4PBEshDb4oBrUxL2gk0/s1600/amiga_lemmings.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyVnLMWswuEIM6wJ0TQusBfLPXvVYqBiCZSRTZrF81G9-ivB4CO8YRMM8iTZnJeOPrux03pxHtOY3KMLJqRPONCD1imyrcP-5RKEIgblYnK2OmJG2FUn1dXZf4PBEshDb4oBrUxL2gk0/s200/amiga_lemmings.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jaCIXM-0PWUJ6WkPszwA5_36mO0vhwMK__q0UAHSDhV2Q4K1efJfv9gOXlAdEpUXCAVyicbb4CP3tnmq9KJEfnyhZvgkmKbpju7GTwKkz3QIWU9Fg4ppdKj6SIS9fTXXcX1fDJtOnkM/s1600/Amiga_Lemmings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jaCIXM-0PWUJ6WkPszwA5_36mO0vhwMK__q0UAHSDhV2Q4K1efJfv9gOXlAdEpUXCAVyicbb4CP3tnmq9KJEfnyhZvgkmKbpju7GTwKkz3QIWU9Fg4ppdKj6SIS9fTXXcX1fDJtOnkM/s200/Amiga_Lemmings.png" width="200" /></a>Next up is another bona-fide Amiga classic that was expected to change the world but never quite managed it. It was, however, very influential (see Team 17’s Worms). <b>Lemmings</b> is a work of genius by DMA Design, now known as Rockstar North of Grand Theft Auto fame. Graphically it’s not much to write home about but it does the job. Sound is sparse but pleasing and the music is pretty decent with good variety between levels. But the real strength of the game is the <a href="http://youtu.be/7SgDS-16UFA">addictive gameplay</a>. The basic idea was to save as many lemmings as possible as they made their suicidal way across various hazardous levels. To do this you were provided with a limited number of special roles you can assign to individual lemmings, from “Builders” to “Blockers” to “Climbers and so on. You had to use the appropriate role at the appropriate time to interact either with the environment or with other lemmings. For example, you would use the Builder to build a bridge over a chasm which your lemmings would otherwise walk blindly into. A Blocker would stop other lemmings from passing and force them to turn around. Using these ideas you would guide your lemmings towards an exit door at a specific point in the level. At first it’s a serene and only mildly taxing experience. Later levels do require some thought and planning but as everything is against the clock, panic could set in and you shouldn’t take too long. All your lemmings explode when the time runs out. I can only really recommend the Amiga version. The Atari ST and PC versions are inferior in just about every way. Just grab WinUAE and the game ROM and have a go.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nrj2qwue9sCQAHQhdipSNp0jOlTQEqg6eFRP66W7RfmsxuWWE-DjbiCt2DSpeLPER2qvxl0cblM7GCxJtYo61RtOGWodyYEV-c2yMhRvFtaTtryjPjhjtQ-ihJdp9mu8dqxyI0O_SpU/s1600/364853-knights-of-the-sky-amiga-screenshot-i-m-about-to-score-an.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nrj2qwue9sCQAHQhdipSNp0jOlTQEqg6eFRP66W7RfmsxuWWE-DjbiCt2DSpeLPER2qvxl0cblM7GCxJtYo61RtOGWodyYEV-c2yMhRvFtaTtryjPjhjtQ-ihJdp9mu8dqxyI0O_SpU/s200/364853-knights-of-the-sky-amiga-screenshot-i-m-about-to-score-an.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYQUDajvYk9l7K4XwU9EimU6erxC42rMC1o_QV6CRUmgf4vrFQOFybbalY2MciMNDu1XN0Mx5LGbnuInpL-78ueSzM3POa1bGkDgtsy4WlHx_yR5s5nsdC79LR__ErWp3FOXmbeeX1Sk/s1600/knightssky.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYQUDajvYk9l7K4XwU9EimU6erxC42rMC1o_QV6CRUmgf4vrFQOFybbalY2MciMNDu1XN0Mx5LGbnuInpL-78ueSzM3POa1bGkDgtsy4WlHx_yR5s5nsdC79LR__ErWp3FOXmbeeX1Sk/s200/knightssky.png" width="200" /></a>Computer games are stupid aren’t they? Little wastes of time for snotty-nosed kids to gawk at when they should be doing their homework or weeding the garden or sewing Nike Air Max for a dollar a day. The little shits. Well it’s a bit more complicated than that. There are lots of games, lots of variety. So some will be horseshit. But some will be good. Some are mindless bollocks (50 Cent: Blood on the Sand anyone), and some tax the brain a bit (see above). Some developers couldn’t give a shit about history. Sometimes it’s not applicable. But some developers like history. Some even include it in their games. And history is a key thing for the next game. <b>Knights of the Sky</b> is a pretty simple World War I flight-sim. You begin as a green pilot in the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 and fly missions between then and winter 1918. Combat patrols, bombing, balloon-busting, all are here. As are real World War I aces like Manfred and Lothar von Richthofen, Max Immelmann, Rene Fonck, Charles Nungesser and Albert Ball. And you could meet up with some of them in the air. Or once you joined their illustrious company you could issue them with challenges (just the Germans though, you didn’t want to kill your own side). The game is hugely atmospheric and this is in part down to the authentic World War I game world, with the Western Front mapped accurately. And this game proved particularly useful for me. I used the game to help write a history essay when I was at school and it allowed me to provide a level of detail and authenticity that went beyond what the school curriculum had taught us. I knew the geography of the Western Front and could include that, all thanks to this game. And the essay was basically just an account of a short time playing this game, with any reference to the fact it was a game omitted. Graphically it’s showing its age. It wasn’t the best on the market at the time. But the graphics do their job alright. Sound is excellent and suitably atmospheric. And as with most classic games the title music is superb; a very catchy period piano piece. Music is also present sporadically in the game. If you can get hold of WinUAE, play it. The MS-DOS version is also excellent and should be playable in DOSBox. <a href="http://youtu.be/A-cJmj-64J4">Here’s a video of the game in action on the Amiga</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgTEQBFWHXV3ctyUmhFm8pSTfxmp5j-zvzARO5Xrnu3KJWQhbzadXaeosHP2i9hZozfeFLs-hUF-8g3ObTyjpDykny-a4dlq5MKb6khuId1u5HyIi9LfBkj3ptsOqlz7QUAH0_ntyQXU/s1600/22-09-2010---15_07_1130850a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgTEQBFWHXV3ctyUmhFm8pSTfxmp5j-zvzARO5Xrnu3KJWQhbzadXaeosHP2i9hZozfeFLs-hUF-8g3ObTyjpDykny-a4dlq5MKb6khuId1u5HyIi9LfBkj3ptsOqlz7QUAH0_ntyQXU/s200/22-09-2010---15_07_1130850a.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8i4U1JAKMR6iczFqeycw-86kaxuXAfBQBNtj24zC8wZ88lrRaH0dsqjYMNWF7Nt-7LI07cILYgef00ecua4fMeTivPTJOKU7frEX6DbZClvvtIzs3EREni9l9jzYoCb9suP-P0oItiVw/s1600/emlyn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8i4U1JAKMR6iczFqeycw-86kaxuXAfBQBNtj24zC8wZ88lrRaH0dsqjYMNWF7Nt-7LI07cILYgef00ecua4fMeTivPTJOKU7frEX6DbZClvvtIzs3EREni9l9jzYoCb9suP-P0oItiVw/s200/emlyn.gif" width="200" /></a>All the way back now to the early 80s for another football game, one that I’ve mentioned once today already. Every version of <b>Emlyn Hughes International Soccer</b> I’ve played (Spectrum, C64 and Amiga) is brilliant but I’ll focus on the original one, the C64 version. The game is a true classic and probably the best C64 football action game there was. It was clearly designed as the thinking gamer’s football game and it set the standard for the genre for several years afterwards. There was nothing like it at the time for complexity of gameplay, probably until the first Playstation console featured ISS and FIFA. The game features an enormous array of options to tailor your game, including 10 difficulty levels, whether or not to include backheels, and up to 5 kick directions so you could play the ball in directions other than the one your player was facing. This was ideal for cross-field passes, crosses and angled shots. Once mastered this makes the game hugely enjoyable. Graphically it wasn’t a huge leap forward and sound <a href="http://youtu.be/wouyXjZGjZ8">during the match</a> is limited to the odd airhorn or whistle or crowd sound during goalmouth action. The menu music, however, is hugely memorable and very catchy. The menus themselves take their inspiration from 80s computer operating environments such as Workbench, with a moveable mouse cursor and a toolbar with drop-down menus. Eight teams are available in all and all are fully editable (team names, player names and abilities, kit colours), as is the match environment. Pitch colour, line colour and ball colour are all selectable. Playing with an orange ball was a particular favourite of mine. The game still had an active online community as of 2009 and it’s simply the best of its kind for the C64.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Part 4 can be read <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-most-important-games-ever-part-iv.html">here</a>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-30375338206188752292011-05-27T15:24:00.000-07:002011-06-03T14:01:04.473-07:00My Most Important Games Ever - Part II<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is part 2 of a series of blog posts about my most important computer games. You can read part 1 <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-most-important-games-ever-part-i.html">here</a>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFB-yAUh5HwbNw5zrVDzk48tlUTY5DdHW5iIeOT7AiYSICMMjm1O-W4TQiAgApGEcXX6EhINuxsSABlylPbADh1sgcpINeyZ4ICTQvamWHtxSkFx-VxpDtQQyGgqPieE0aVp8vOpueNc/s1600/pitstop-ii-20090223084105030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFB-yAUh5HwbNw5zrVDzk48tlUTY5DdHW5iIeOT7AiYSICMMjm1O-W4TQiAgApGEcXX6EhINuxsSABlylPbADh1sgcpINeyZ4ICTQvamWHtxSkFx-VxpDtQQyGgqPieE0aVp8vOpueNc/s200/pitstop-ii-20090223084105030.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEpsYKNuCWMlPqzYcpPgOahyphenhyphen7IQwOrgCcsIJZdEWr-MRyNAjxvZsVQtlZQjKVv-PvSWlqM1B-OwdOKIRTuV1a4q2Ve1sKGGaiWPnc0WEAt_XSluOoMH7tTi8mloEbWahh-NPWzzVJJmI/s1600/pitstop-ii-20090223084112936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEpsYKNuCWMlPqzYcpPgOahyphenhyphen7IQwOrgCcsIJZdEWr-MRyNAjxvZsVQtlZQjKVv-PvSWlqM1B-OwdOKIRTuV1a4q2Ve1sKGGaiWPnc0WEAt_XSluOoMH7tTi8mloEbWahh-NPWzzVJJmI/s200/pitstop-ii-20090223084112936.jpg" width="200" /></a>The first game for part two is a true Commodore classic. Released in 1984 by Epyx, <b>Pitstop II</b> may actually be the first memory I have of playing a proper computer game. I’d played games before on the Phillips Videopac but nothing like this. <b>Pitstop II</b> was the first 3D racing game to have a 2-player split-screen mode, a staple of racing games right up to the modern day, despite the proliferation of online modes. The game implemented six real-world tracks, full-colour car sprites, tyre wear, fuel levels, a controllable pit crew, three difficulty levels, an overhead scanner and invented and successfully implemented 2-player split-screen racing ALL INSIDE 64K OF RAM. In 1984. The cars are beautifully drawn, scenery is understandably spartan but nicely coloured, <a href="http://youtu.be/NY1uiC9wHBg">gameplay</a> is very fast and the sound is just fantastic. Engine sounds have an almost musical quality and the sounds during the actual pit stops are to die for. Replacing worn tyres was a slight chore control-wise but worth it just for the sound of the wheel being fitted, and refuelling produces a pleasant bell sound. Apparently the game is available on Nintendo’s Wii Virtual Console for a few hundred Wii points (as is one of the games from part 1, <b>Zombies Ate My Neighbors</b>). If you have a Wii I recommend you get it and give it a go.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4mBpRt2Ahiab3IYXQ2qAaKlEft0FjNgt63w7snAGIjeCqj3jO6yNoXmmpC8_7A2TxQ8JMm3kE2eEgTbdbKNicqAeuDx4xrauABHvwujEf4veXxTSJYOSrHM_WfMPenltz7Fc3X6xn3Q/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4mBpRt2Ahiab3IYXQ2qAaKlEft0FjNgt63w7snAGIjeCqj3jO6yNoXmmpC8_7A2TxQ8JMm3kE2eEgTbdbKNicqAeuDx4xrauABHvwujEf4veXxTSJYOSrHM_WfMPenltz7Fc3X6xn3Q/s200/0.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikA5hyphenhyphenDsBX0QCv3SKY1U_vBh_hThG3bFDSiO9YpZozTzF5lnd7chfzj2d3R9zA2XywwxMNFMwvKlYDQ6Egfnpzko9rbFy9AN87hJABxtE7vtz2zbipFcI-oN65baxDGiZxtTaPylEaMiQ/s1600/Football_Champ.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikA5hyphenhyphenDsBX0QCv3SKY1U_vBh_hThG3bFDSiO9YpZozTzF5lnd7chfzj2d3R9zA2XywwxMNFMwvKlYDQ6Egfnpzko9rbFy9AN87hJABxtE7vtz2zbipFcI-oN65baxDGiZxtTaPylEaMiQ/s200/Football_Champ.png" width="200" /></a>Next up is an arcade classic from Taito. <b>Football Champ</b> is probably my favourite coin-op of all time and it hasn’t aged too badly. I must have spent a fortune feeding money into this game over the years at holiday camps and theme parks. It’s a <a href="http://youtu.be/xh3b354YFdQ">side-scrolling cartoonesque footballaction game</a> with a great sense of humour and a bit of a nasty streak. You can knock out the referee in order to get away with shirt pulls, punches and flying knees. The fat, balding ref can’t keep up with play. Animation of the players is brilliant, with overhead kicks, diving headers and spectacular volleys all possible, and goal celebrations are simply fantastic. Sound is also top-notch, with sporadic sampled speech, good crowd sounds and great arcadey thuds when the ball is kicked. The game is also known as Hattrick Hero and you might be able to find a copy for PC, PS2 or XBOX on Taito Legends 2. Failing that, grab MAME and the game ROM and get playing. It’s great.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6X0Z3NAaDrCRf3skOTpAATJzi5xgoGFgSk6srT6lg47BEwkWL_ltM33BUEkZoY5AAf3zPS9EhQqhhKTBDbObvCZEf_6YNgPi4-pEVTfZOS_glsEn_h5V3SRKKuT0wDSl2V-KSG1aVxQE/s1600/elite1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6X0Z3NAaDrCRf3skOTpAATJzi5xgoGFgSk6srT6lg47BEwkWL_ltM33BUEkZoY5AAf3zPS9EhQqhhKTBDbObvCZEf_6YNgPi4-pEVTfZOS_glsEn_h5V3SRKKuT0wDSl2V-KSG1aVxQE/s200/elite1.gif" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFTa_51uCbnZgcIvgf5MXK4n97DSa_tx4W7srfCJjZdD80GqYhoxfPaI_-dDqXe5MNmBldrU8KuRdY2DS1Vtyps4PxS0Tlxki2aZR-Yy0YI71uP2tSXXEriYJJVM7-5YwWpNj-h7eO40/s1600/200px-BBC_Micro_Elite_screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFTa_51uCbnZgcIvgf5MXK4n97DSa_tx4W7srfCJjZdD80GqYhoxfPaI_-dDqXe5MNmBldrU8KuRdY2DS1Vtyps4PxS0Tlxki2aZR-Yy0YI71uP2tSXXEriYJJVM7-5YwWpNj-h7eO40/s200/200px-BBC_Micro_Elite_screenshot.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuJmjOctcNUPDWtL6-QY02W-nzSuAm-yRzCI3iEHr9pKRNrc5kHg3SIzlRYtkwk-2rap1EWd2mDtyrjNCEYsCg6d2USw10H_PFBzdMVbJ7ckhMW_fks5RwBNTA5lHPvKOeyeieENQ_34/s1600/frontier2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuJmjOctcNUPDWtL6-QY02W-nzSuAm-yRzCI3iEHr9pKRNrc5kHg3SIzlRYtkwk-2rap1EWd2mDtyrjNCEYsCg6d2USw10H_PFBzdMVbJ7ckhMW_fks5RwBNTA5lHPvKOeyeieENQ_34/s1600/frontier2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuJmjOctcNUPDWtL6-QY02W-nzSuAm-yRzCI3iEHr9pKRNrc5kHg3SIzlRYtkwk-2rap1EWd2mDtyrjNCEYsCg6d2USw10H_PFBzdMVbJ7ckhMW_fks5RwBNTA5lHPvKOeyeieENQ_34/s200/frontier2.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLakAq4K-BFCv8j9y_-JdkG7-pYSgnVg9mzRWnF_5xdSrDoW0NtrWWQQlLh2Ph52sVf3u36gAQT2pt70vZzPt7Agzkwn2nxWU4b1xvquZF1bHMb4Q22AnFaSVJ0CdDBw6ll06vKH1xGw/s1600/fr2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLakAq4K-BFCv8j9y_-JdkG7-pYSgnVg9mzRWnF_5xdSrDoW0NtrWWQQlLh2Ph52sVf3u36gAQT2pt70vZzPt7Agzkwn2nxWU4b1xvquZF1bHMb4Q22AnFaSVJ0CdDBw6ll06vKH1xGw/s200/fr2.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bti_qN-1d1iN4rQJvb8jlttZGQTdV3IdMO3zDRrG2Izi1zmQf3z3qZTVfaItOl4R8nU6LrkIJXNdGWat2dYEv6mbuG_wP3V2Mt20ejihHcUtEwY0hXQrakOXwonZPihl16okus8Gb_Y/s1600/Frontier_elite2_screenshot.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bti_qN-1d1iN4rQJvb8jlttZGQTdV3IdMO3zDRrG2Izi1zmQf3z3qZTVfaItOl4R8nU6LrkIJXNdGWat2dYEv6mbuG_wP3V2Mt20ejihHcUtEwY0hXQrakOXwonZPihl16okus8Gb_Y/s200/Frontier_elite2_screenshot.gif" width="200" /></a>If the last two games are classics, the next one has become legend, if not in its own right then at least by association with its older brother. Back in the early 80s, computer games could be primitive, and the media and general public thought they knew what a game was and what sort of entertainment computers were capable of. Then along came David Braben and Ian Bell. <a href="http://youtu.be/y3xHj0plhDU"><b>Elite</b> changed everything</a>. For me it was the first real watershed in computer gaming. At first glance, <b>Elite</b> is deceptively simple. It’s a space-based trading game. And it wasn’t even the first one of those. Under the surface there is much more depth. But what makes <b>Elite</b> special for me is that the depth is often provided by what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isn’t</i> there. The genius of the developers seems to be that they knew exactly how much content to provide and what that content should be, and how much to hold back to allow the player to provide for themselves. Of course, this was aided by the limited hardware of the BBC Micro and the other 8-bit machines common at the time. But the developers chose substance over style and everybody was rewarded. <b>Elite</b> also raised the bar for games marketing. Publishers Acornsoft pushed the game, bundling a novella with the game and holding a special launch party at Thorpe Park theme park, an event almost unheard of for a computer game at the time but fairly common now. The number of copies sold for the BBC Micro catapulted the game into the national news and the game was converted for virtually every platform then in existence. <b>Elite</b> is one of the most influential titles in gaming history, setting the scene for the current plethora of open-world sandbox-type games and MMORPGs popular today. However, all this is background (necessary background) for the game I really want to talk about. In 1993, almost a decade after the release of <b>Elite</b>, the sequel was finally released to great fanfare. <b>Frontier: Elite II</b> is massively ambitious in scope. As with the first game, there is no real ultimate aim, no path to final victory. Players are free to decide on a goal and how they want to reach it. Do you want to be rich? Be a pirate? Bounty hunter? Explorer? Navy pilot? Courier? You’re free to proceed how you wish. An entire galaxy is contained on a single Amiga floppy disk. Attention to detail borders on the anal. The game features actual, real-sized planets on which it is possible to land, and sometimes to mine for minerals. Everything occurs in real-time. Clocks in surface-based cities display accurate time and planetary motion is accurately modelled, with true day and night cycles, sunsets etc. For gamers who crave detail, this game has got it. There are seemingly endless worlds to explore and plenty of ships to explore them in - from small fighters to massive bulk freighters - if you can afford them. Trading is the main, and safest, way to make money and get by in the <b>Frontier</b> universe. Careers in the Federal or Imperial navy are also available. <b>Frontier</b> can be extremely unforgiving. Players are cast into a hostile universe and survival can be difficult in some of the more violent star systems. The flight model is based on true Newtonian physics, so your ship simply does not behave like an aeroplane. Forget to perform maintenance on your hyperdrive and mis-jump? Tough. You’re now several YEARS (yes, YEARS) from the nearest star system without sufficient fuel to get back. Load your last save. The game will not patronise you. The MIDI soundtrack is wonderful, with classical pieces from Wagner and Mussorgsky, as well as the old favourite during docking: Strauss’ Blue Danube. If you’re willing to invest some time and thought into a game of such enormous and ambitious scale then I can’t recommend <b>Frontier</b> highly enough. It is a true gaming milestone the importance of which is still to be fully realized even today. It is simply one of the greatest achievements in gaming history.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vwBau3OybIsgQle-x5hJqDBbP6MyCXrKhQrEpUqz_fI6YTpY0Hq1QKmpWY5fY-88mU8JeHbAXjTQA5iTufasF5eN9DH7MpsChn37H96gpQen43yVusF48VvvsE3DHD_Fd-MtddhG5GI/s1600/NHLPA-Hockey-93.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vwBau3OybIsgQle-x5hJqDBbP6MyCXrKhQrEpUqz_fI6YTpY0Hq1QKmpWY5fY-88mU8JeHbAXjTQA5iTufasF5eN9DH7MpsChn37H96gpQen43yVusF48VvvsE3DHD_Fd-MtddhG5GI/s200/NHLPA-Hockey-93.png" width="200" /></a>The next game is one of the best sports games on the Mega Drive. <b>NHLPA Hockey</b> was one of my favourite games on the console. Graphics, sound and <a href="http://youtu.be/E0jr7WO3NVE">gameplay</a> were all fantastic and there was a decent amount of (possibly unintentional) comedy value to enjoy. And like most great games, it had an absolutely brilliant theme tune that takes me right back to the days of 3-button controllers and cartridges with yellow tabs on. I played this one to death and you should grab an emulator and do the same.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1F-p0vvvBpqhs-U7z647zGXO3sSh63y3IBovVxEsaJhPhiqGRFjm8k5nhcGtGPDGZ37Egki6isRYfTaQXA0-SL2C0jscVge632bMyK53vNw_82kFDBxOyLP_myWV4SqxNfssHwuHTKI/s1600/road_rash_05.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1F-p0vvvBpqhs-U7z647zGXO3sSh63y3IBovVxEsaJhPhiqGRFjm8k5nhcGtGPDGZ37Egki6isRYfTaQXA0-SL2C0jscVge632bMyK53vNw_82kFDBxOyLP_myWV4SqxNfssHwuHTKI/s200/road_rash_05.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I first played the next game on the Mega Drive, but remember it more fondly from its days on the Amiga. Graphically there isn’t much to choose between the two versions but the <a href="http://youtu.be/HHIx5BQZ7J0">Amiga version</a> undoubtedly had the better music, and I can’t put my finger on it but it just seemed to play better too. <b>Road Rash</b> was a bike-racing game with a difference – you could use violence to get ahead. The game took place in the world of illegal street racing in California. Kicks, punches, clubs, all were fair game. There can be few more satisfying feelings in gaming than knocking that bell-end Viper off his shitty bike with a big stick. Try to grab WinUAE and find a copy of this. Failing that I suppose the Mega Drive version would do.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYP5YOX44KcVhxrWKcC7HW_0vmCuUUYcFYr_RckgJ2YlgkDys7jFAtQBoArUa-KNcgYDEAg076Ry9ndVAC3ji0R3FuhR2NMRVzkV9OCza-Jy26YR4X9Yy4F7id7kY3CgkHoFo0P4zq4U/s1600/syndicate_05.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYP5YOX44KcVhxrWKcC7HW_0vmCuUUYcFYr_RckgJ2YlgkDys7jFAtQBoArUa-KNcgYDEAg076Ry9ndVAC3ji0R3FuhR2NMRVzkV9OCza-Jy26YR4X9Yy4F7id7kY3CgkHoFo0P4zq4U/s200/syndicate_05.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Finally for this part is <b>Syndicate</b> on the Amiga. This game was nothing short of mindblowing at the time and it’s still a great experience now. It put you in charge of a corporation vying to take over a near-future, dystopian cyberpunk world. To this end, you controlled a squad of up to four cyborg agents carrying out various missions in order to expand your corporation’s territorial control. These missions ranged from assassinations to combat sweeps, equipment theft/industrial espionage, rescue and recruitment-by-brainwashing. This is not Rainbow Islands. It’s dark, gritty and morally suspect. But it’s also brilliantly realized. The game has a graphical style all its own. <a href="http://youtu.be/m4jQ2ZFvPVg">From the excellent intro movie to the green-screen-terminal-style menus to thewell-designed main mission screen with its creepy pulsing sound</a>, the game hits all the right notes. If you haven’t already, you must play this game.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Part 3 is available to view <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-most-important-games-ever-part-iii.html">here</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-28357012695347130402011-05-25T15:56:00.000-07:002011-05-28T04:33:17.397-07:00My Most Important Games Ever - Part I<div class="MsoNormal">I’ve been thinking about this one a lot over the past few weeks. I’ve been playing through one of my favourite games again recently (you’ll find out which one later in the series) and a thought process began. The game always makes me feel a certain way, remembering the time when I first played it. A very powerful nostalgia. Almost a longing to be able to go back to a simpler time, when everything seemed easier and there was little to worry about. I suppose it’s most likely to happen when a game catches you in the right place and time, like this one did with me. It seemed to gel perfectly with the time in the 90s that it was released and the time I played through it the first time round. It’s a very similar thing to hearing a song or album that immediately takes you back to a specific time and place in your life and this is the only way I can think of to try to explain the feeling to a non-gamer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With all this in mind I started to write down the games I can remember which have this effect on me. I expected there to be maybe 10 at the most. But the list kept growing. Interestingly though, very few of the games seemed to be recent titles. I don’t think this is an indictment of today’s games. I definitely play less games now than I used to but I don’t think games in general are worse than they were. Maybe a certain amount of time has to pass for the game to achieve this sort of status in your mind, or it could be that I don’t engage with games now in the same way I did in the past.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As the list continued to grow I realised that this wouldn’t be a throwaway blog post but a pretty large undertaking. I just couldn’t justify leaving some games out and including others. So this will be the first in a series of blog posts where I’ll focus on six of these games at a time. Most of the games I’ve chosen are from the 80s and 90s and span multiple formats, from Spectrum to C64, through Amiga and Mega Drive, PC and PlayStation and into the arcade. Not all of the games will be great. Some won’t even be good. But this isn’t all about quality. All of the games will have helped define a particular time in my life. All will have meaning to me. So let’s begin with the first six games…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZj8_OvvLTl4raKhivo9OqsZG5GrsvslVKxH4_eXi9tHMb4oBnDkLb93sWy3sXAtQk4coIubqequJet6la4L9fJkK9QxfPDpbp69c75AXgKSeF3bpRNqXwSMLwjLfvzo-ltVY7ChTWGIY/s1600/SPK_1a182ac02170209ea093.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZj8_OvvLTl4raKhivo9OqsZG5GrsvslVKxH4_eXi9tHMb4oBnDkLb93sWy3sXAtQk4coIubqequJet6la4L9fJkK9QxfPDpbp69c75AXgKSeF3bpRNqXwSMLwjLfvzo-ltVY7ChTWGIY/s200/SPK_1a182ac02170209ea093.gif" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsjjeO4SSFIVpJaW4bvTi11mosmSFppGcPPMHzwauVKMb07A8-yz85mq9VjxIT1MYv8QXMEtZgSMobXabPqgH5o-laxI-Eo8yXZce-mHVoqkygz_Ou-E8Sb1OMd2af9ra4I4RVVpAvS0/s1600/showscreen.cgi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsjjeO4SSFIVpJaW4bvTi11mosmSFppGcPPMHzwauVKMb07A8-yz85mq9VjxIT1MYv8QXMEtZgSMobXabPqgH5o-laxI-Eo8yXZce-mHVoqkygz_Ou-E8Sb1OMd2af9ra4I4RVVpAvS0/s200/showscreen.cgi.gif" width="200" /></a>The first game came out in 1986. I played it to death on the Spectrum and it’s one I can still go back to with Spectaculator even now. It’s called <b>Footballer of the Year</b> and it’s still brilliant. The game is a weird cross between board game and arcade football game. All aspects of the game are controlled by cards you either purchase with your footballer’s salary (which starts at something like £75 a week) or you receive when a random “Incident” (something like landing on a Chance square in Monopoly) occurs. You start out as a 17-year-old footballer and the ultimate aim is to win the prize which gives the game its name. But that’s not how I played it. My aim was always to sign for Liverpool, score goals and win trophies. Graphically it might not look much nowadays, and even then it was probably pretty average. Soundwise it was quite spartan (a mix of soft beeps, sudden, grating, blaring and quite inappropriate klaxons and a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjqIMuoHbTY">great little tune</a> right at the start, except for one wonderful, magical thing – I’ve played the C64 and Amstrad versions of the game and neither came close to the Spectrum version on this one aspect – the vidiprinter. This, almost more than any other part, cements the game in my mind. After every set of matches the results are “printed” on the screen by a dot-matrix printhead that looks like a bad attempt at a sprite from Kick-Off. And the sound it makes as it prints is one of the most glorious in gaming history. Just this sound is enough to take me back to late-80s weekends in front of the portable hoping the game wouldn’t crash before the European Cup final.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARYz5FKlcXniWLf5B-4DOq_xCybR1X1kqluA_CoNvcmjIGkeyAtd5N9u-JmAPjqzgLOJFtNUS3o1DodeMjbvrDLOydxELqn09BPlQcBnxH9_SrazwIFtKU9eX6SQRTF3o8QY7HKh2QhA/s1600/World+Cup+Italia+%252790+%25282%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARYz5FKlcXniWLf5B-4DOq_xCybR1X1kqluA_CoNvcmjIGkeyAtd5N9u-JmAPjqzgLOJFtNUS3o1DodeMjbvrDLOydxELqn09BPlQcBnxH9_SrazwIFtKU9eX6SQRTF3o8QY7HKh2QhA/s200/World+Cup+Italia+%252790+%25282%2529.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMq7MtOvyCkx3mYn88VQvMTewv4nNxAeeGbja88XoCBEHtOvWYugSr45uhgKRy22Thx7TrKdxnl3HgFy5PPuecxpke5_3FMiqAD1PqTXJoA5bhR4vBATOQE_toyLWYt1KqPSEkG3iGqo/s1600/world-cup-italia-90-02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMq7MtOvyCkx3mYn88VQvMTewv4nNxAeeGbja88XoCBEHtOvWYugSr45uhgKRy22Thx7TrKdxnl3HgFy5PPuecxpke5_3FMiqAD1PqTXJoA5bhR4vBATOQE_toyLWYt1KqPSEkG3iGqo/s200/world-cup-italia-90-02.png" width="200" /></a>Another football game, but this time one for the Sega Mega Drive. Released in 1990 to coincide with that year’s World Cup, <b>World Cup Italia ’90</b> hasn’t aged well. As with a lot of games at the time, the perspective is a bird’s-eye view. The pitch looks like it was coloured in with a wax crayon and sound was a bewildering array of what sounded like muffled trouser-based accidents. There were no free-kicks or penalties during the game because fouls simply didn’t exist. Scoring was a simple process of playing long balls into the box and putting headers or overhead kicks into the corners (Roy Hodgson's dream game). The music, however, was brilliant. Each continent had its own distinct theme-tune. South American sides played to a sort of Samba-style tune, European sides played to something like a driving rock anthem and Asian teams seemed to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRbKw467AxA">play along to an Elton John number</a>. The real fun starts though when a game ends in a draw. The penalty shootout is easily the best and most fun part of the game and it’s one of the great gaming travesties that it wasn’t a game-mode on its own, despite the ludicrous goalie animations. It’s not a great game. It’s probably not even a good game. But it was the first game I played on my Mega Drive. I ignored Sonic the Hedgehog until I’d finished this.</div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTiyL_YB4_2b4dRqchQbgheGbA6sZD2KVC3gbvO6Zm2G5OvHicz8ifocP7LkPZ_4jebu9ELrk_y8PZjNeJbE4eTH8QTpJWhhwSsJZW30ViV7Ny4niPC1WiwALcxXnkxodEZ94POCaYW0/s1600/lotus_turbo_challenge_2_02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTiyL_YB4_2b4dRqchQbgheGbA6sZD2KVC3gbvO6Zm2G5OvHicz8ifocP7LkPZ_4jebu9ELrk_y8PZjNeJbE4eTH8QTpJWhhwSsJZW30ViV7Ny4niPC1WiwALcxXnkxodEZ94POCaYW0/s200/lotus_turbo_challenge_2_02.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgMY3ao1-OdUNPBy32WdrcEz4J8Cj9t0KBxN6Uy0lpPWl2TWlOdXVYkSFhI3FdldF2izcUeK_vC3Ibiwap7PY-RkqTytLw2IBfD5hpb_6ZQobxSLkblgdZSlbWasY_PgNptVGPIOVAsI/s1600/lotus_turbo_challenge_2_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgMY3ao1-OdUNPBy32WdrcEz4J8Cj9t0KBxN6Uy0lpPWl2TWlOdXVYkSFhI3FdldF2izcUeK_vC3Ibiwap7PY-RkqTytLw2IBfD5hpb_6ZQobxSLkblgdZSlbWasY_PgNptVGPIOVAsI/s200/lotus_turbo_challenge_2_01.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHqKDLOsQNB_-Qyx-Zcv3WDp5SvqFAs2xM2VLtyU0Pyo-9Q46h9DumOFFMZmhfMciMrKnwusXdCclLhfGbdIqQZcqfWz_Su-4O7JZz0H_4VzT8e8pjNiClsMy3ZPWCJtc4__Y8if-pcQ/s1600/lotus_turbo_challenge_2_04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHqKDLOsQNB_-Qyx-Zcv3WDp5SvqFAs2xM2VLtyU0Pyo-9Q46h9DumOFFMZmhfMciMrKnwusXdCclLhfGbdIqQZcqfWz_Su-4O7JZz0H_4VzT8e8pjNiClsMy3ZPWCJtc4__Y8if-pcQ/s200/lotus_turbo_challenge_2_04.png" width="200" /></a>The next game is one that can almost make me genuinely teary-eyed for times gone by. From the sound of the A500 disk-drive as the game loaded (you could often tell what game was in the drive just from the sound of the disk being read) to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQSsq7HCNHw">mind-blowing opening music</a> to the menu screen to the game itself, <b>Lotus Turbo Challenge 2</b> is note-perfect. This game was one of the first I experienced on the Amiga and it’s still a joy now. Before I got my own Amiga I’d spend all weekend playing this on my uncle’s machine. The game is sort of an Out Run clone, but so much better than Out Run in every department it hurts. The sound is beautiful and the <a href="http://youtu.be/7bylC5qyn_g">gameplay is fast</a>. Each level or stage had a theme; forest, fog, night, snow etc. and on completing a stage you were given a password for the next one. Just the passwords alone are enough to bring it all flooding back; <i>TWILIGHT, PEA SOUP, E BOW</i> etc. While loading each stage a representative picture of the stage was shown and each one had its own brilliant theme-tune. The race was against the clock and involved checkpoints, which I don’t normally like but the difficulty level here is perfect. Just enough challenge to keep you going and keep you enjoying the brilliantly drawn scenery and fantastic sound. It was worth crashing into a pile of sand or snow just to hear the gorgeous sound it made. A brilliant game.</div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepTsLp-BdeyCfDjfY5Vn8SExwOUV_aiEzxJOjgNKVJwo6tAyS1RTH-ZqVC4l1P97-eJn-0Drvs-JiYNIGf6Gu7S34uVc304gXNw6E1ioYtAaK3msn3TxX4jO3VBrZPqbgtXrILEcm2BA/s1600/8837-XWing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepTsLp-BdeyCfDjfY5Vn8SExwOUV_aiEzxJOjgNKVJwo6tAyS1RTH-ZqVC4l1P97-eJn-0Drvs-JiYNIGf6Gu7S34uVc304gXNw6E1ioYtAaK3msn3TxX4jO3VBrZPqbgtXrILEcm2BA/s200/8837-XWing.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Another genuine classic next, this time for the PC. This game began a series which was undoubtedly the best computerised Star Wars experience you could get. X-Wing is basically a Star Wars flight sim. And it’s brilliant. Note-perfect from the <a href="http://youtu.be/3FTmPTip0lI">cinematic intro</a> to the climactic final battle. Graphically fantastic, immersive sound-wise and appropriately ambitious with the story, which is a brilliant fill-in-the-blanks exercise surrounding the lead-up to the Battle of Yavin (if you don’t know what that is I already hate you), including delivery of the Death Star plans to Princess Leia. The game <a href="http://youtu.be/VWghOA692w0">completely immerses you in the Star Wars universe</a> and it’s the first game I remember playing that made me want a PC, like, yesterday. I played this one to death on someone else’s PC, and then again on my own. You genuinely feel like a part of the ultimate success at the end of the first movie when you play it. X-Wing spawned a couple of sequels (TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance). Both sequels were better games in many ways but X-Wing was the beginning and it’s the one I remember most fondly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuHs6lO34YJm7R3vLvWaOlkCRneZ0o8K7XQMpAEtJTT5CdlBaYu80irn_bWQFgeWKX8WxaJI-mnPYogosezZNViMOldYOb-YvuU22rktSOUmiVTh_FOO3z4Jh69blYp3GTyRS1XbF9Hk/s1600/PSX_Tony_Hawks_Pro_Skater_2_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuHs6lO34YJm7R3vLvWaOlkCRneZ0o8K7XQMpAEtJTT5CdlBaYu80irn_bWQFgeWKX8WxaJI-mnPYogosezZNViMOldYOb-YvuU22rktSOUmiVTh_FOO3z4Jh69blYp3GTyRS1XbF9Hk/s200/PSX_Tony_Hawks_Pro_Skater_2_03.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Next is a slightly more recent release. It was autumn of 2000 and I was in a job I couldn’t stand and had therefore stopped attending (I basically went on a 6-month sickie). So I bought a couple of games. One was X-Wing Alliance (very good game). The other was Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, the one I consider the best of the series. A (mostly) great soundtrack featuring the likes of Fu Manchu and Rage Against the Machine and wickedly addictive gameplay in single- and two-player mode. We spent hours at a time completing the challenges on the various levels, often playing through the night to <a href="http://youtu.be/naDpwBATQFE">collect S-K-A-T-E at the school</a> or whatever when I should have been in work the next day (I usually didn’t go). The sound of polyurethane on concrete and Evil Eye by Fu Manchu define this time for me (along with Golden Virginia tobacco and lack of sleep).<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YMYmv9PLTM64guLXPYVpuaa3OhrgXmMT95wc_WEmATV7Wy6KEbJHSMPnJK4q0BOz8J5R2wBTHKzv1b7fBaeE8xLgSjN19o6aIUAGXxMiu0CSQSuni-nExOOKIqS5IFAX_gc_3aBfBqw/s1600/zombies+ate+my+neighbors+rom.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YMYmv9PLTM64guLXPYVpuaa3OhrgXmMT95wc_WEmATV7Wy6KEbJHSMPnJK4q0BOz8J5R2wBTHKzv1b7fBaeE8xLgSjN19o6aIUAGXxMiu0CSQSuni-nExOOKIqS5IFAX_gc_3aBfBqw/s200/zombies+ate+my+neighbors+rom.gif" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKNevoEUf1RprocZ7U9If0zOPquBqsUsV_-fAZwa_Dq0VUiKkIReXSrDIsl7DbrED8mSTYUwcR6J9oVvVez_YUmJY8jo67hv7pXEvjinIQVQVLbdcmZ-bNJ9QqzZ_0CQNTswHSWV8Gkg/s1600/Zombies_Ate_My_Neighbors_GEN_ScreenShot1.jpg.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKNevoEUf1RprocZ7U9If0zOPquBqsUsV_-fAZwa_Dq0VUiKkIReXSrDIsl7DbrED8mSTYUwcR6J9oVvVez_YUmJY8jo67hv7pXEvjinIQVQVLbdcmZ-bNJ9QqzZ_0CQNTswHSWV8Gkg/s200/Zombies_Ate_My_Neighbors_GEN_ScreenShot1.jpg.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEasx8WE7cd08xfMtkNGh1MWfTXOkS66wP1seUcRIAu7hPfwulMK1nLYCUpbUuc-PJdocfLVa0LM6H7C_DOWoPBtwROWGUBDvkl3UqTTJvHjhyphenhyphendhSJHryH4XCHZTSah-2OQPiuy0OZgE/s1600/zombies-ate-my-neighbors-top-10-scariest-games.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEasx8WE7cd08xfMtkNGh1MWfTXOkS66wP1seUcRIAu7hPfwulMK1nLYCUpbUuc-PJdocfLVa0LM6H7C_DOWoPBtwROWGUBDvkl3UqTTJvHjhyphenhyphendhSJHryH4XCHZTSah-2OQPiuy0OZgE/s200/zombies-ate-my-neighbors-top-10-scariest-games.gif" width="200" /></a>And now back in time again. I came to this one a bit late, but it seems a lot of people did because I only remember this being a hit years after it came out. Zombies Ate My Neighbours is one of my favourite Mega Drive games ever. Gameplay-wise it’s reminiscent of Gauntlet. The graphics are well drawn, colourful and full of humour and the two-player co-op mode is brilliant fun. The game takes plenty of nods from old B-movie horror fayre. You (and an optional friend) basically <a href="http://youtu.be/KnFjsUlFbag">run around the neighbourhood avoiding classic horror-movie monsters</a> (zombies, men in hockey masks with chainsaws, werewolves, swamp creatures) or killing them with a variety of imaginative weapons, including water pistols, fire extinguishers, soda cans, silver cutlery and bazookas, while attempting to rescue the neighbours. The soundtrack is fantastically judged and could have been lifted from any late 20<sup>th</sup> century horror B-movie and this really helps the game stick in the mind. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m not sure about Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, but the rest of the games above can be played pretty much flawlessly using any of the excellent emulators available. Try the following resources:-</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.worldofspectrum.org/">http://www.worldofspectrum.org/</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.amigaforever.com/">http://www.amigaforever.com/</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.dosbox.com/">http://www.dosbox.com/</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.emulator-zone.com/doc.php/genesis/">http://www.emulator-zone.com/doc.php/genesis/</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.freeroms.com/">http://www.freeroms.com/</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://capsdi.free.fr/">http://capsdi.free.fr/</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.thegamearchives.com/">http://www.thegamearchives.com/</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
Part II can be read <a href="http://jayodoom.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-most-important-games-ever-part-ii.html">here</a>.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-70761733837595512702011-04-02T06:07:00.000-07:002011-11-13T06:24:59.945-08:00On the necessity of "aggravated trespass" and "criminal damage"<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">(This latest post has grown from a couple of Twitter posts I made earlier today) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It seems convenient that the dismantling of the welfare state with no clear mandate, suppression of inconvenient polls and the casual, derisive dismissing of peer-reviewed publications that dare to criticize you are all perfectly legal, yet refusing to leave a shop is a crime for which you can be beaten, arrested and humiliated in custody. It’s yet more evidence that the system under which we live is specifically designed to favour those few who hold the power and wealth over the needs and concerns of the people who ultimately provide them with that power and wealth. Every aspect of this system is a cog in the machine of the power of the few over the many.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is not necessarily some great conspiracy, although smaller conspiracies certainly do occur. It is simply that institutions like corporations are established with the sole aim to make their owners rich and powerful and that this occurs at the expense of those who ultimately create this wealth – the workers. The ultimate wealth is created by a worker not being paid full value for his or her labour and it is the aim of corporations (and most private employers generally) to drive down the cost of paying a man or woman to do a job. This doesn’t just have an effect on the wage that is paid. Anywhere money can be saved is a target. Health and safety at work, the working environment, time worked. All of these are ways for employers to get more for less and all have an impact on the lives of the workers. These issues are ones which have, in the labour movement, traditionally been addressed by Trade Unionism. But this is now one of many examples where corporation and state have colluded to enrich and empower themselves at our expense. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And the record of state and corporate collusion in Britain over the past 30 years contributes to the point of this post and brings us back to the very first line of it. There has been a lot of talk in the media (even media considered left-leaning) that has attempted to distance the mainstream of last weekend’s protest from the supposed “violent criminal element”. Along with the arrest of the Fortnum & Mason UKuncut protestors this has helped the government and the right-wing press to discredit the most effective aspect of the recent anti-cuts action. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is a distinction to make here, and it is a vital one. It is not, however, between protestor and protestor, but between “crime” and crime, "criminal" and criminal. Now more than ever it is vital to publicize the reasons for the occupations of banks and stores, the reasons for the broken windows and graffiti and the reasons for the anger against the police, and to draw a distinction between this action and the actions of a coalition government with the interests of the millionaires and not the millions at its heart. And it is vital to publicize the ideological nature of the cuts. According to the Daily Mail (yes, the Daily fucking Mail) last year, 23 of the 29-strong coalition cabinet were worth in excess of £1million and this includes 3 of the 4 Lib Dems appointed. Their ideologies have been shaped by a life of wealth and privilege and their policies reflect this. With the Tories this is obvious, but with the Liberal Democrats it may be less so. Yet when you know about publications such as the Orange Book it seems obvious that the "Liberal" component of Liberal Democrats refers more to economic liberalism than to social liberalism. Every aspect of government is viewed as an opportunity for profit and this necessarily comes at the expense of the people who have to rely on the services which government provides. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The sacrificing of these services on the altar of greed will be a crime on a massive scale, affecting the lives of millions of the poorest, in many cases removing their only means of support, while the millionaires in the cabinet and elsewhere continue to count their money. So far, the Labour party and trade unions have been largely ineffective in offering any real opposition to this programme and while, following a general election, we are effectively left with a 5-year dictatorship, people have to offer their own opposition by hitting the millionaires, the corporations, all of the people responsible for the mess the working class are being forced to pay for, where it hurts. Their bank accounts, their places of business, and it’s vital that the reasons for this are made clear as widely as possible; that people must commit what the mainstream media and those with something to lose will rush to call a crime in order to counter a greater crime which masquerades as necessity. This is exactly what groups like UKuncut have been doing, and the establishment is petrified of them because they represent something like anathema to the establishment. That ordinary people, workers, students, schoolkids, the unemployed, can take it upon themselves to try to change society for the benefit of everyone and to the detriment of the rich and powerful, and that they can be effective. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">They allow you to march because marching alone is not a threat to them. But when you threaten their means, their money and their power directly you are a criminal. Because you are hurting them directly. The change being sought by these actions will be to the benefit of all. Marching is a vital act of solidarity and opposition but it cannot be successful alone. Marching and other action needs to be carried out in a co-ordinated way, with one supporting the other and all in opposition to the status quo. The status quo is to the benefit of those who seek to profit from our labour, our time and our public services. If we respect our services, ourselves and each other, the status quo is not an option. The question about what action to take cannot be coloured with the language of the enemy. We must decide what constitutes legitimate protest and we must not allow ourselves to be dictated to by the government, the media or the corporations. We cannot afford to define crime as that which is deemed illegal by the state because some greater crimes are entirely lawful, however morally reprehensible they may be.</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-81690189594799969122011-02-19T04:21:00.000-08:002011-12-29T14:40:46.607-08:00In defence of the Spirit of Shankly Supporters' Union (Liverpool Football Club)<m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as I'm concerned, without the work of SOS and other similar groups, we'd still be sitting on our hands with regards the ownership issue. It's abundantly clear that Hicks and Gillett would have hung on for their outrageous asking price whatever the cost to the club in terms of the footballing performance. At best, SOS and other groups have mobilized a section of the fanbase that was until that point happy to be passive and the owners left as a result of direct pressure applied to them, and this didn't just happen in the city. This happened around the world. At worst, at least somebody tried to do something effective themselves instead of waiting for a white knight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sooner working people realize that nothing will change without their direct and decisive action, the better off we'll all be. Grouping together, working democratically, taking direct action. These are the core of what will change things for the better for working people, regardless of sex, race or whatever. Groups like SOS are where ideas form, they're a forum for real change. Sitting on your hands is not an option and nobody who really identifies themselves with this fanbase can afford to be isolated from such a group. People who really identify with the club will also identify with the culture that surrounds it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's understandable that people from outside the city can find it harder to identify with that culture, but it's inevitable that people from within the city will be a product of it. Their ideas will reflect the environment of that city and that culture, a culture that has grown and morphed with the decades. It's a culture that, as the decades wound on from the 60s onwards, has grown in an environment of deprivation, of decisions taken by moneymen and politicians from further afield devastating lives and communities in the name of money and the ideology that privilege and power breeds. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's an environment where, when working men and women have stood up for their jobs, their lives, their city and each other, politicians and the media in the south have demonized them, beaten them down and at one stage sacked their entire democratically elected city council. It was in the environment of 70s and 80s football hooliganism and years of neglect of the game from politicians, the police and the footballing authorities culminated in a disaster where seemingly the blame for two decades of violence and disorder, and a subsequent European ban on all English clubs was laid at the door of the fans of one club. It's against this background that, with the city opposing the Tory government at every stage as they sent it to the wall, the needless deaths of 96 fans of the club were paraded across the front pages of the right-wing gutter press as something these people brought on themselves, as something they deserved even though these papers (there were more than one) knew full well that what they were printing were nothing but lies. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's no wonder then that a siege mentality of sorts has built up and that people realize that if you want something badly enough, you have to struggle together to achieve the goal. It's how the club has built its most successful teams, it's how the lies of those newspapers and police and politicians have been challenged and at least partly overturned in the wider public consciousness (although there is obviously still much work to do). And it's how the departure of Hicks and Gillett was accelerated. And it will be how the future of working people everywhere will eventually be determined. Because the people in power will not give up that power willingly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The SOS movement grew out of this environment in Liverpool and was initially mostly made up of people from the city. It should be no great surprise that the group initially viewed things from a Liverpool-centric viewpoint. But the group has wilfully broadened its horizons. People are free to join from wherever they are in the world, and are then free to set up a regional group, or to join an already existing one. And the more people from outside of the city do this, the more they will be represented, the more the whole group will reflect the ideas and requirements of those people. It's self-evident that when people are exposed to ideas, these ideas influence the person exposed to them. When different people come together and get to know each other, and see each other's struggles, a new appreciation of them will build up. But I'm not denying that this is a two-way street. To quote Tony Cliff:-</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"To achieve unity between white and black workers the white workers must move toward the black workers and go a mile further. To achieve unity between male and female workers, the male worker must go out of his way to prove that he is not part of the oppressors. Lenin put it very simply in 1902. He wrote that when workers go on strike for higher wages they are simply trade unionists. Only when they go on strike against the beating of Jews or of students are they really socialists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A strike involving black and white workers helps to undermine racism. A strike strengthens solidarity, and therefore has an impact beyond the immediate issue. The spiritual changes in workers is the most precious result of the strike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But solidarity can start from an anti-racist demonstration that leads to a feeling of unity with black workers that has an impact on future industrial disputes. The meetings in London in solidarity with the Lawrences are very large, composed of black and white people, and no doubt will have a big impact not only on the attitude of millions to the police but also will inspire increasing solidarity among workers on a whole number of other issues.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A strike in which men and women stand shoulder to shoulder helps to overcome sexism. One should remember the Paris Commune where the women fought brilliantly, causing one British reporter to say that if all the Communards were women they would have won."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And this is the environment we must continue to foster, in order to be able to effectively face any challenges the future might present us. And if possible, this attitude and environment must go beyond football, to fight the inequities of a system that has allowed banks to take £1 trillion out of our pockets while our libraries, schools, leisure centres, benefits and infrastructure all creak under the weight of 30 or 40 years of neglect. To fight a system that has allowed men, women and children to be herded into pens like animals, to die and to then be slandered by a press that already despised them because their city tried to stand up for itself. To fight a tax system that hits the poorest proportionally hardest. To fight a system that sees jobs and livelihoods as expendable to suit its ideology. And to fight any future owners of football clubs who want to tear that club away from the community and its fans to make some quick money.</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-71732612918700930132011-02-15T15:17:00.000-08:002011-02-15T15:17:52.250-08:00To the most special person in my life<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">I’ve made so many mistakes in my life.<span> </span>Letting myself get so scared of something that is at worst uncomfortable.<span> </span>Being so stupid and bored that I did something that got me arrested.<span> </span>Not pushing myself forward at school, with schoolwork, sports or socially.<span> </span>Wasting my time studying subjects I shouldn’t have started.<span> </span>Wasting my time at university.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">All of these things have led up to something that I would never, ever call a mistake.<span> </span>That was meeting you.<span> </span>There’s a line going from the first mistakes right through all the ones in the middle to the last and I’ve regretted them all in some way in the past, until I realized that if it wasn’t for them I might never have met you, and that would have been the real tragedy because I never knew I could feel this way about anybody until I felt this way about you.<span> </span>If just one thing had been different before this, then it might never have happened.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It’s the mistakes I’ve made since then that I regret now.<span> </span>I’ve messed everything up by thinking I could live on lots of different fronts and balance them all at the same time instead of setting priorities.<span> </span>I took a lot of things for granted that I probably shouldn’t have and it affected both of us badly.<span> </span>This is the bit now where words start to fall badly short.<span> </span>I don’t really know how to say it so it means what I want it to.<span> </span>I really am sorry if I hurt you in any way.<span> </span>I’d never mean to hurt you.<span> </span>I gave my heart and soul to you and now they belong to you, and I’m only half a person without you in my life.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">You’ve always been the most important thing in my life but I didn’t know what that really meant.<span> </span>Now I do.<span> </span>I’ve never known anyone like you and I never will again.<span> </span>I was never as happy as when I was talking to you.<span> </span>No matter what had happened, everything was better as soon as we talked.<span> </span>I know that I can be that for you too.<span> </span>I know that I was wrong and that I was an arsehole.<span> </span>I wish I could have seen it then so I could have done something about it.<span> </span>I know I’m a better person than I showed.<span> </span>I wish I could prove that I’m the person you need me to be.<span> </span>I love you so much and I want you back.</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-11816504976129591622011-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:002011-02-08T12:16:17.406-08:00On the "Political Correctness Gone Mad" reponse to the Richard Keys and Andy Gray sexism scandal (first posted 25th January 2011)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><br />
Right, I can feel a rant coming on here. This might or might not be a slight departure from the subject, eventually. Unfortunately we’ll all too often find that the general public’s reaction to something like this Andy Gray and Richard Keys ballbaggery will be “It’s political correctness gone mad”.<br />
<br />
But the response is the most natural in the world. It’s exactly what we should expect really. It’s the reaction that most people will be conditioned for. People will always like to think they’re independent, autonomous and rational.<br />
<br />
But the fact is that a combination of factors in modern life has turned them into easily programmable mobile ignorance units. It probably only takes half a generation or so to turn the majority of a society into insular, reactionary mechanoids. We’ve witnessed a gradual dumbing down of news media alongside the introduction of 24-hour rolling news.<br />
<br />
Celebrities are constantly pressed for an opinion like they’ve got a fucking clue and now the people who are supposed to be watching the news to be informed end up informing it by being asked to deliver the news themselves, be it in the form of a short vox-pop opinion, a video, a photograph, a comment on a website or whatever.<br />
<br />
This has run in parallel to the entrenchment of the individualism Margaret Thatcher introduced into our society during the 80s. The kind of pull-up-the-ladder I’m-alright-Jack fuck-you-mate attitude of the laissez-faire neo-liberal market circle-jerk for billionaires that might just have been the single biggest fraud inflicted on the British people.<br />
<br />
It could be said that the newspaper is dying out, but the shitrag that is the Daily Mail still has a circulation in excess of 2 million. The S*n has a circulation in excess of 3 million, The Mirror just over 1 million and The Daily Star almost 800,000. This is pretty formidable power. Sky TV has 10 million subscribers. In this climate of readers and viewers being bombarded with opinion disguised as news, it’s no suprise that those who shout loudest pretty much control the agenda.<br />
<br />
And the agenda of those who shout loudest seems to be, to differing degrees of intensity, anti-Europe, anti-science, anti-immigration, anti-gay, anti-union, pro-Christian, anti-Muslim, pro-business. And it’s no surprise at all that this affects people’s ideas. For me (and quite a lot of others), this is how the world works. No newspaper or TV channel would dare to explicitly say that this is the way you should think. They’re much more subtle than that.<br />
<br />
TV and the media present a distorted view of reality. There’s a suicide bomber round every corner. Europe is running the country from Brussels, and it’s banning curved bananas or unwrapped sweets or mushy fucking peas. Health and safety has gone mad, banning school ties or fire station poles or fucking candy floss. Or today’s topic of interest, political correctness has gone mad. Christmas is being banned. Baa Baa Black Sheep is being censored. People are having copious amounts of bullshit pumped into their eyes and ears every hour of every day, all their lives. It’s no surprise when it starts to spill out of their mouths. Karl Marx said “It is not consciousness that determines existence, but social existence that determines consciousness.” When the world is looked at like this, it does begin to make sense.<br />
<br />
As Mark Steel has said about the Queen Mother, “Others point out that she always looks splendid in her wonderful array of hats. Well of course she does, she’s worth about a hundred million trillion quid, she’s not likely to turn up at Ascot in a bobble hat with “Derby County” on the front.” Surrounded by money and privilege, she’s not likely to turn up at an engagement dressed like that feller Dave round the corner who sells the knickers down the market. And it’s the same when people are exposed to the flood of opinions and ideas that are forced onto their retinas and eardrums 24 hours a day. It’s bound to affect anybody, and especially the people who haven’t been equipped to filter it and evaluate it. It’s all presented as fact. Except often it’s simply made up. And it drives an agenda. It keeps millionaires millionaires and leaders leaders.<br />
<br />
And you* afraid, paranoid, hostile to outsiders and pushing their stupid fucking agenda on the telly, in letters columns and on stupid fucking comments on newspaper websites. In fact, forget all that. Just draw a circular arrow in brown crayon and write BULLSHIT along it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*Not you, obviously. You’re here. Which isn’t out there, in the circlular arrow of bullshit.Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6472622156683957752.post-77163549764172880142011-02-08T11:54:00.000-08:002011-02-08T11:54:42.806-08:00On Patrick Barclay's refusal to engage with Liverpool fans in the Roy Hodgson debate (from early January)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style> <![endif]--> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Shithouses like Barclay can’t debate. They’re not used to being questioned and think because they’re paid to offer their opinion it makes their opinion more valid. Actual research is neither necessary nor desirable to these people because being right isn’t their goal. Their goal is to sell papers and provide as good a margin for their paymasters as they can manage. Research would detract from this in several ways. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Real research is expensive and time-consuming. Also, their desire not to challenge their readership’s knowledge or prejudices as this is detrimental to sales. Sales and prejudice are what seems to drive the mainstream media. The desire for profit over all. Don’t stray from the pack. Animals that stray from the pack get eaten. And it’s a cycle. These ideas drive sales/ratings/website hits. This makes money. Lets have more of the things that drive sales/ratings/website hits. It’s why every major TV channel has got the same bullshit celebrity/member of the public dances/sings/skates in front of judges while the public call in and pay a quid a minute to vote nonsense show. It’s why we have the same smug, self-satisfied little prick choosing the Christmas number one every year. It’s why the rolling news channels turned the tragedy that was the Raoul Moat affair into a strange hybrid of a circus for whooping, knuckle-dragging cavemen and a live 24-hour shit-your-keks-fest for old women. It’s why every mainstream political party has declared principle to be a thing of the past in favour of the same pressed-suited replicant leader who’s all hand gestures and earnest looks with a complete vaccuum where everything that really matters should be. It’s why every high street looks the same, with a Starbucks and a Subway and a Weatherspoons and a Body Shop and a Carphone Warehouse and a fucking Tesco Express. It’s the constant hunt for the demographic that wouldn’t exist if these people hadn’t moulded it over the past decade or so themselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>It must be because everybody in this country is so busy working the longest hours in Europe only to have every security they thought they were investing in pulled out from under them to cushion the fall of the wealthy and to prop up a system that so plainly doesn’t fucking work for anybody but the rich that there’s an allure to having people do things for you, including your thinking. But as most of us here will know, thinking for yourself is so much more satisfying. Thinking for yourself; questioning the status quo, what you were taught at school, what your parents taught you, what politicians and the media tell you, and to understand that most of what they tell you is wrong, or worse, lies; that is the beginning of real liberty.</div>Jay_O_Doomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754037747961575306noreply@blogger.com0