The Lord of the Rings Online: Echoes of Angmar
Much to my surprise I recently discovered that there is a private server currently in development, based upon an early iteration of The Lord of the Rings Online. Called Echoes of Angmar, this is a version of the popular Middle-earth based MMORPG as it was in late October 2007. The team that is managing this project, which recently completed alpha testing, wishes to make available a free version of LOTRO based on original code from the time. Echoes of Angmar will include all content upto and including Book 11: Defenders of Eriador. Hence there will be no cosmetic items, no quest tracker and no streamlined levelling. The level cap will be 50. PvMP will not be available upon initial release but will be implemented later. Echoes of Angmar will therefore be a very different experience compared to LOTRO as it is today on the current live servers.
Much to my surprise I recently discovered that there is a private server currently in development, based upon an early iteration of The Lord of the Rings Online. Called Echoes of Angmar, this is a version of the popular Middle-earth based MMORPG as it was in late October 2007. The team that is managing this project, which recently completed alpha testing, wishes to make available a free version of LOTRO based on original code from the time. Echoes of Angmar will include all content upto and including Book 11: Defenders of Eriador. Hence there will be no cosmetic items, no quest tracker and no streamlined levelling. The level cap will be 50. PvMP will not be available upon initial release but will be implemented later. Echoes of Angmar will therefore be a very different experience compared to LOTRO as it is today on the current live servers.
There are numerous talking points stemming from this project. Perhaps the most obvious is the fact that Standing Stone Games have stated clearly on several occasions that they have no pressing desire to release a “classic” version of LOTRO themselves. Furthermore, for technical reasons it would be a complex project which would be a drain on development resources. Some long term LOTRO players have inferred that SSG may not even have access to the appropriate code or that they have necessary in-house expertise to undertake such a task. Yet, despite all these claims and counterclaims, we see a third party quietly going ahead and creating a so-called “classic” server. If the recent YouTube video which features alpha footage is anything to go by, the project seems to be progressing very well. The Echoes of Angmar team have stated that a more in-depth reveal and sneak peak will be coming “soon”.
A perennial question associated with the release of any “classic” MMO server, is whether there is a genuine and sustainable player base available to support the game. Or are players simply allowing a sense of nostalgia to cloud their judgement and desire something that may not ultimately hold their interest. SSG developer Jeff Libby (AKA MadeOfLions) has often made this argument, as did Blizzard with regard to WoW “Classic”. However, I frequent a multitude of LOTRO based online communities, such as forums, subreddits and Discord servers and I regularly encounter players who express a desire to return to the base game as it was at launch. These are players that currently confine their activities to Eriador on the existing liver servers and continuously re-roll alts to exclusively play the Shadows of Angmar content. Therefore I suspect that there is sufficient interest within the wider LOTRO community to justify the existence of Echoes of Angmar.
Perhaps the biggest elephant in the room is the fact that LOTRO is still an active MMO. It is actively being developed and makes money for its corporate owners. It is one thing to create a private server for a game that has been officially closed such as Star Wars: Galaxies. It is a different matter altogether to create an unofficial version of an existing product. I will not wade into the ethics or legality of this matter, not only because I am unqualified to do so, but because I do have an interest in seeing Echoes of Angmar come to fruition. So I am not an impartial observer. However, I am curious to see if there will be any pushback from either SSG, Daybreak or EG7. The team behind Echoes of Angmar have been quite open about what they’re doing, having published the aforementioned video. They didn’t object to me writing this post. So there is a chance that the rights holders already know. It will be interesting to see what happens in the meantime.
Another One Bites the Dust
About three years ago, I wrote a very similar post to this one. Titled “Ride off into the sunset” it was an account of bloggers leaving or retiring from the community. Especially those who are established and part of the proverbial furniture. I referenced Zubon from Kill Ten Rats as an example and naturally invoked the mantra that nothing remains the same forever. Many of us go through periods of our life where a specific activity or pastime galvanises us into action. We focus on that activity for sometime and it becomes an integral part of our life and even identity. However, eventually we move on usually because such a hobby isn’t sustainable. Modern life makes too many demands upon our time. Plus we all change as individuals. What delights us today may well depress us in a year’s time. This was the thrust of that post and I now find myself in the sad but inevitable situation of writing it again.
About three years ago, I wrote a very similar post to this one. Titled “Ride off into the sunset” it was an account of bloggers leaving or retiring from the community. Especially those who are established and part of the proverbial furniture. I referenced Zubon from Kill Ten Rats as an example and naturally invoked the mantra that nothing remains the same forever. Many of us go through periods of our life where a specific activity or pastime galvanises us into action. We focus on that activity for sometime and it becomes an integral part of our life and even identity. However, eventually we move on usually because such a hobby isn’t sustainable. Modern life makes too many demands upon our time. Plus we all change as individuals. What delights us today may well depress us in a year’s time. This was the thrust of that post and I now find myself in the sad but inevitable situation of writing it again.
To cut a long story short, two stalwarts of the podcasting community have decided to call it a day. Beej and Void released the final episode of the Geek to Geek Podcast on June 7th. Then Braxwolf stated in a recent blog post that he was effectively taking an indefinite break from podcasting, which means that Beyond Bossfights is coming to an end. Both were excellent shows that presented the intelligent and enthusiastic face of fandom. And for the record I appeared a few times on Beyond Bossfights so it does hit home a little more than just being a casual listener. What I think this situation highlights is the high quality of many of the podcasts that we enjoy on a regular basis. Fan based content is often well researched, written and present. Because it is not a corporate product, it frequently has a sense of sincerity and earnestness that is missing from more commercially driven products. I think as listeners, we are at times spoiled and take these sorts of shows for granted.
On occasions such as this, there is often a propensity to pause and reflect upon the state of whatever community you cleave to. Because overtime there is a natural attrition of content creators, we tend to lapse into a morose mindset and the erroneous conclusion that our community is declining. But that is not really the case. Fandom is thriving and the only thing that is changing is the platform of choice to create content. I currently follow over 60 gaming blogs and continuously discover new fan based YouTube channels. As for Twitch it is a veritable cornucopia of fan driven material. So I don’t think that everything is going to hell in a handbasket. Fandom is simply evolving as all social phenomena do. I am a little sad on a personal level about the end of two very good podcasts but “them’s the breaks” as the saying goes.
Dear Mr. Watterson (2013)
Joel Allen Schroeder's documentary Dear Mr. Watterson is a curious beast insofar that it takes some time before it decides exactly what it wants to focus upon. It begins by examining the cultural impact of the hugely popular comic strip “Calvin & Hobbes” and what it means to people around the world. However, little information is given about the creator, Bill Watterson beyond a very simple biography. Joel Allen Schroeder’s also makes no attempt to contact and interview the reclusive Mr. Watterson to find out more about the man and his iconic work. Instead, the documentary eventually settles into an assessment of Watterson’s work by other industry luminaries and a broader accounting of the overall decline of the newspaper cartoon as a social institution. The presentation is bright, stylish and there’s a lot of love for the subject but it takes some time before it commits to a specific approach.
Joel Allen Schroeder's documentary Dear Mr. Watterson is a curious beast insofar that it takes some time before it decides exactly what it wants to focus upon. It begins by examining the cultural impact of the hugely popular comic strip “Calvin & Hobbes” and what it means to people around the world. However, little information is given about the creator, Bill Watterson beyond a very simple biography. Joel Allen Schroeder’s also makes no attempt to contact and interview the reclusive Mr. Watterson to find out more about the man and his iconic work. Instead, the documentary eventually settles into an assessment of Watterson’s work by other industry luminaries and a broader accounting of the overall decline of the newspaper cartoon as a social institution. The presentation is bright, stylish and there’s a lot of love for the subject but it takes some time before it commits to a specific approach.
Cartoonist Bill Watterson retired his comic strip “Calvin & Hobbes”, after a very successful ten year run from 1985 to 1995. The cartoon about a 6-year-old boy and his tiger companion, had and continues to have much to say about American culture, childhood, friendship and many other philosophical points. Although demonstrably a US product, its themes and characters had a worldwide appeal due to its universal themes. Furthermore, Watterson was extremely experimental in the way he presented his artwork, often abandoning the traditional linear panel format. What the documentary makes clear is that both Watterson and subsequently his cartoonist peers consider his creations “art”. The notion that the cartoon strip is an inherently lower form of artistic endeavour, is summarily dismissed as part of the inherent snobbery that exists around art per se. Watterson’s perspective on his own work is a key theme throughout the documentary.
Post 1995, Bill Watterson has led a reclusive life in small-town Ohio, where he has pursued other artistic endeavours. Although financially successful due to the ongoing syndication of “Calvin & Hobbes”, along with the continuous sales of anthologies of the cartoon, Watterson is notable as one of the few artists that has eschewed lucrative merchandising deals. Unlike most of his contemporaries such as Charles M. Schulz (“Peanuts”) and Jim Davis (“Garfield”). Dear Mr. Watterson takes a lot of pain to examine such an unusual stance, with one talking head hinting that it is borderline “unamerican” to do such a thing. Yet Watterson saw such monetisation as diminishing the artistic merits and significance of his creation. Something that Stephan Pastis, creator of “Pearls Before Swine” broadly agrees with, citing from personal experience that the moment you embrace marketing you are subject to a wealth of commercial pressures that impact upon your creativity.
Dear Mr. Watterson ultimately fall between two stools as it is a little too insular to be immediately accessible to those casually interested in “Calvin & Hobbes”, while simultaneously not being a definitive overview for hardcore fans. It does have its moments. One certainly gets a sense of Bill Watterson’s talent when looking at his original artwork at The Ohio State University. The documentary also does a good job of analysing the final cartoon he created which ends with the positive statement “Let’s go exploring”. It also accurately assesses the diminishing of comic strips in newspapers due to the industry's own decline. The conclusion is that it's highly unlikely that any other strip will achieve similar success and have such a cultural impact. “Calvin & Hobbes” remains an enigma born of great talent and the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time.
Fall Guys Goes Free-to-Play
On the 21st June Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout transitioned from a purchasable game to a free-to-play business model, complete with multiple currencies and a season path. The game also made its debut on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. These changes stem from developer Mediatonic striving to reach a bigger audience and Epic Games’ purchase of the studio a year earlier and their established monetisation policy. As someone who has played Fall Guys (as it has now been rebranded) since its release in August 2020, I have mixed feelings about this change and relaunch of the game. The game is still fun, infuriating and amusing. Playing on your own or with friends is still very entertaining. For a player such as I who has already accrued a ton of cosmetic items, I can ignore the newly bolted on season pass. However, that might not be so easy for new players.
On the 21st June Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout transitioned from a purchasable game to a free-to-play business model, complete with multiple currencies and a season path. The game also made its debut on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. These changes stem from developer Mediatonic striving to reach a bigger audience and Epic Games’ purchase of the studio a year earlier and their established monetisation policy. As someone who has played Fall Guys (as it has now been rebranded) since its release in August 2020, I have mixed feelings about this change and relaunch of the game. The game is still fun, infuriating and amusing. Playing on your own or with friends is still very entertaining. For a player such as I who has already accrued a ton of cosmetic items, I can ignore the newly bolted on season pass. However, that might not be so easy for new players.
If you have just started playing Fall Guys and want a cool outfit for your character then you better be prepared to grind your way through multiple new currencies that have been added to the game, or alternatively put your hand in your pocket. Bear in mind that 3 cosmetic items previously retailed at about £4 before the change to free-to-play. They now cost £12. If you “prefer” the grinding option, the new season pass has been accompanied with a nerf of the XP system. XP or Fame can be earned by completing challenges or playing rounds. Challenges tend to offer 300 to 1000 Fame but take time to achieve, where a single game nets you just 24. The more rounds you win the less Fame you get, leading to a situation where some players are advocating losing the first round to net 24 Fame and then moving on to a new game. This is a ridiculous situation as some have pointed out on Reddit.
However, irrespective of this, the game has certainly gained traction after becoming available on new platforms. Within two days of going free-to-play, Mediatonic proudly announced that Fall Guys had reached 20 million players. What didn’t get so much attention from the developer’s was the crashing of matchmaking services and login queues. Other in-game glitches such as the cosmetic system freezing and voice chat failing were also a pain on launch day. Most of these issues also occurred when the game originally launched in 2020 on the Playstation and Steam. A week later and most of these technical problems have been addressed and the game now has the full benefit of crossplay. But it should be noted that the transition to free-to-play has not been as seamless as some have claimed.
Finally, if you have previously purchased Fall Guys from Steam you can still access the game via this platform. However, if you have not and wish to play the PC version then it is now only available via the Epic Game Store. Despite the “controversy” over the games free-to-play monetisation, it is still well worth playing. If you focus on the game play and the sheer ridiculousness of some of the events there is still a great deal of mirth and merriment to be had from Fall Guys. Remember, it is a capricious game and it is wise to embrace this concept before playing. Other players are both a boon and a bane and there will always be some “try hard” who will know an optimal route or tactic, so they can snatch victory from you at the last moment. I’ve not yet won a complete round of games, despite playing for two years. But despite the corporate bullshit the fun is still there in Fall Guys. Just play it with the right mindset.
Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021)
“Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” is a sprawling, non-linear eulogy to the to the life of writer Kurt Vonnegut, by Emmy-winning director Robert B. Weide (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), who was a friend of Vonnegut's throughout the last 25 years of his life. Weide himself features heavily throughout the two hour running time, which is something Weide says he usually hates in documentaries. However, what unfolds is a story of a documentary maker who wanted to film his idol and was granted an opportunity to do so in the early eighties. The project was never completed and both Weide and Vonnegut continuously returned to it over the years as their friendship grew, leading to Weide eventually becoming Vonnegut’s personal archivist. However, despite this curious relationship, this is still very much a film about Kurt Vonnegut, the author, the social commentator and the man. It becomes quite clear why he is considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
“Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” is a sprawling, non-linear eulogy to the to the life of writer Kurt Vonnegut, by Emmy-winning director Robert B. Weide (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), who was a friend of Vonnegut's throughout the last 25 years of his life. Weide himself features heavily throughout the two hour running time, which is something Weide says he usually hates in documentaries. However, what unfolds is a story of a documentary maker who wanted to film his idol and was granted an opportunity to do so in the early eighties. The project was never completed and both Weide and Vonnegut continuously returned to it over the years as their friendship grew, leading to Weide eventually becoming Vonnegut’s personal archivist. However, despite this curious relationship, this is still very much a film about Kurt Vonnegut, the author, the social commentator and the man. It becomes quite clear why he is considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
“Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” is structured very much like Vonnegut's writing; deliberately fragmented and very self-aware. At times it takes a chronological approach and at others, leaps forward to future events and highlights this by showing Weide editing the very documentary on his computer. We do get to learn about Vonnegut’s youth, family and other key aspects of his life as the documentary lapses into a classic PBS approach to its subject. It takes a while to get to the matter of his experiences in Dresden in World War II and despite his irreverent tone, it is clear that this part of his life is key to his mindset and philosophy in later life, as well as his emotional well being. All of which paints a very interesting and broadly favourable portrait of the man. Which makes it all the more jarring when he leaves his wife shortly after achieving the success in which her support is instrumental.
Where “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” excels is in examining the wealth of material regarding Vonnegut’s writing. We see first draft, typewritten manuscripts complete with handwritten revisions that clearly show the author refining his style and process during his early years. Correspondence and then later, answerphone messages provide further insight to the author’s struggle to commit his work to the page and the birth of his alter ego, Kilgore Trout. As the documentary progresses, over time Vonnegut becomes very comfortable talking about himself to Weide. He clearly shows he is someone who relishes his relationship with his audience and the opportunity to “perform”. There is some compelling footage of talks and lectures in which Vonnegut effortlessly engages with fans and riffs off their questions and adulation. Not every author requires the love of his readers but it clearly was integral to Vonnegut’s pathology.
Overall, any gaps in the history of Kurt Vonnegut or self-indulgent asides are subordinate to this documentary’s sincere and honest analysis of Vonnegut's World War II experiences. His initial denial of the significance of his time as a P.O.W. is ultimately overturned after writing “Slaughterhouse Five” and the documentary takes great pains to stress the cathartic nature of this undertaking. His disgust of war subsequently boiled over again during the second Bush administration and the subsequent invasion of Iraq. Vonnegut despised the use of patriotism as a political tool and subsequently wrote a series of opinion pieces for “In These Times” magazine which became the foundation for his final major work “A Man Without a Country”. Robert B. Weide’s ““Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time”” is a loving tribute to a dear friend as well as an analysis of a cultural icon. It’s important to appreciate the former while addressing the latter. There may well be future documentaries about Vonnegut that are more objective but they’ll not be as personal as this one.
My Home Entertainment System
The last time I wrote about our home entertainment system was six years ago. Back then I was hoping to upgrade our TV from HD to UHD. However, unless you are fortunate to have a surfeit of cash, most of us tend to soldier on with the hardware we already have until it breaks. Then at least we can justify replacing it. And that is exactly what happened to us last week. It would appear that both the TV and the powerline internet adapters which are in our lounge, suffered electrical induction damage during a recent thunderstorm. One of the powerline adapters was completely dead and the HDMI sockets on the television ceased to function. This meant we had no access to streaming services, the Blu-ray player or our BT TV DVR. We could access a selection of free, terrestrial digital channels via the aerial, but could not pause or record anything. Furthermore all of these were in standard definition.
The last time I wrote about our home entertainment system was six years ago. Back then I was hoping to upgrade our TV from HD to UHD. However, unless you are fortunate to have a surfeit of cash, most of us tend to soldier on with the hardware we already have until it breaks. Then at least we can justify replacing it. And that is exactly what happened to us last week. It would appear that both the TV and the powerline internet adapters which are in our lounge, suffered electrical induction damage during a recent thunderstorm. One of the powerline adapters was completely dead and the HDMI sockets on the television ceased to function. This meant we had no access to streaming services, the Blu-ray player or our BT TV DVR. We could access a selection of free, terrestrial digital channels via the aerial, but could not pause or record anything. Furthermore all of these were in standard definition.
Hence Mrs P and I looked at various TV models online and read a few reviews. As we’ve been happy with our previous Samsung TV we decided to buy another. We ordered a Samsung UE43AU8000 from John Lewis department store for £340 which seems to be the standard price for this model. We chose this one because we didn’t want a TV over 43 inches, due to the size of our lounge (we live in a bungalow). We also had no requirements for excessive functionality. Everything we watch comes from external sources. Our BT TV DVR provides a selection of free and premium TV channels in SD, HD and UHD. We also have a Blu-ray/DVD player for the handful of disks that we still own. And I recently acquired a Zidoo Z10 Pro media player for third party video files. The new TV meets our requirements, having three HDMI inputs and no superfluous extras. We also opted to pay £125 for the installation of the new TV, as I didn’t relish the idea of having to mount it on the wall myself.
This morning, two gentlemen arrived to install the new TV and broadly things went well. There was a problem using the existing wall mount but fortunately the engineers had a spare in their van. This did incur a further £109 cost but needs must when the Devil drives and all that. Another issue arose regarding the HDMI inputs. Two were inset along the right edge of the TV but the third was directly on the back. When a cable was inserted it wouldn’t allow the TV set to hang flush to the wall. I managed to purchase a 90 degree adapter later and so the problem has now been resolved. Replacement powerline adapters were supposed to be delivered in time for today but didn’t arrive until after the two engineers had gone. However, I installed a Netgear wifi extender that I had spare. This has a single ethernet port that I split between the three previously mentioned devices, using a mini switch.
Our TV is mounted on the chimney breast in our lounge and we have a sofa in front of it about 8 feet away. The DVR, Blu-ray and media player are on shelves in the fireplace below. Although practical this is not necessarily convenient from a technological perspective. The roof aerial is in the loft above the lounge so the cabling comes down the chimney. However, providing sufficient power outlets and internet access is a challenge. For safety and cosmetic reasons Mrs P is not keen on long ethernet cables, even if they’re neatly pinned to the skirting board. The wireless bridge solution works and the data transfer rate is sufficient but wifi is not always a reliable means of providing internet access. As and when we next move, a lot more thought will go into ensuring that there are enough electrical sockets and data ports exactly where they’re needed.
I am extremely pleased with the new Zidoo Z10 Pro media player. It runs on Android 9.0 and plays a wide variety of file formats. Files can be stored either in an internal or external drive or streamed from a source on your home network. Most of my film collection is encoded in x264, however I can now play back 2160p content encoded in x265. It has been most interesting to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies in 4K. I am still undecided on the aesthetics of the format as it does lose an element of cinematic quality, while gaining visual clarity. Another benefit of the Z10 Pro is how easy it is to install apps for any streaming services that you may use. There are also some interesting customised variants such as Smart Tube; a client for Android TV with additional playback features and a conspicuous lack of adverts. The GUI can be customised, providing thumbnail images of your content, although I find it does misidentify films, especially more obscure titles.
I wrote in my last post, six year ago, that sound was the weak link in my home entertainment system and that remains the case. I still need a sound bar or something similar as the television’s integral speakers are somewhat lacklustre. However, such a purchase will have to wait another month or two for financial reasons. Overall, both Mrs P and I are happy with the new set up. It took a while to disable a few features on the new TV that were being “over helpful” such as HDMI-CEC. We also have a policy of “if it’s not being used, remove it from the home screen” as this tends to reduce confusion and scope for “pressing the wrong button”. Hopefully our current home entertainment system is future proof for the time being. I do tire of the upgrade treadmill sometimes, having seen the rise and fall of so many formats over the years. In the meantime we intend to enjoy what we have.
"Doom Pill" Content
There’s an interesting post about “Doom Pill” content over at Indiecator. The thrust of the narrative was the wearisome nature of continuously bleak, fatalist and pessimistic content. You’ll find a great deal of such material on Twitter and other social media platforms. It is very akin to the “everything and everyone is horrible and we’re all going to die” content you find served up daily in the UK tabloid press. I certainly agree that being emotionally and psychologically bludgeoned with content designed to make you upset, frightened and angry is exhausting. Furthermore, the material that is being “reported” upon to elicit such feelings is all too often misrepresented, skewed or downright dishonest. However, “Doom Pill” content has no interest in factual accuracy or editorial honesty. It’s about clicks or in the case of the print media, circulation.
There’s an interesting post about “Doom Pill” content over at Indiecator. The thrust of the narrative was the wearisome nature of continuously bleak, fatalist and pessimistic content. You’ll find a great deal of such material on Twitter and other social media platforms. It is very akin to the “everything and everyone is horrible and we’re all going to die” content you find served up daily in the UK tabloid press. I certainly agree that being emotionally and psychologically bludgeoned with content designed to make you upset, frightened and angry is exhausting. Furthermore, the material that is being “reported” upon to elicit such feelings is all too often misrepresented, skewed or downright dishonest. However, “Doom Pill” content has no interest in factual accuracy or editorial honesty. It’s about clicks or in the case of the print media, circulation.
Bearing this in mind, it seems unreasonable for me to berate anyone who mutes certain subjects or people on social media or who opts out of continual exposure to such material. “Doom Pill” content and “Doomscrolling” is “people vocalising doubts and spreading fear and fatalism” for no good reason other than they can, to quote Dan from his aforementioned post. However, I am concerned that choosing to avoid “Doom Pill” content can potentially foster a mindset that can ultimately make us averse to any thing that we don’t care for. Shutting your eyes to avoid the scary monster that is loose on the streets, doesn’t afford you any real protection from it. I’m not necessarily advocating attempting to tackle the beastie head on. Best leave that to the professionals. But forewarned is forearmed. Therefore, have a quick butchers, before you run off. (That’s have a look before strategically withdrawing for those unfamiliar with UK slang).
Facts are neither negative nor positive. They are simply a statement of reality as we currently understand it. Fear, upset and disquiet stem not from the facts themselves but how we or others choose to react to them. Being scientifically candid about the state of global warming is not what I would classify as “Doom Pill” content. Nor is having a practical discussion of the consequences of the reversal of Roe v Wade in the US. Listing the current benefits of Brexit or lack thereof is also not an act of deliberated scaremongering. Sadly, the ability to tackle difficult issues in an intellectual manner devoid of hyperbole, showboating and partisan politics is becoming increasingly hard. Sections of the media and the public seem to be either incapable or unwilling to do so.
It is important to look after one’s own mental well being. Especially in today’s climate where many institutions seem ill disposed to do so and prefer to do the opposite. But I would also argue that like physical strength, it is important to develop one’s emotional fortitude. Human history is predicated upon change and the change we seem to currently be embarking upon is not necessarily for the better. We live in challenging times. Furthermore, there are many institutions and bodies that are opposed to altering the status quo, thus making matters more difficult. Politics is acrimonious with no conception of seeking a consensus or the middle ground. It’s a shit show out there and it’s part of a deliberate plan to try and spook you, browbeat you into submission and withdraw from the fight. Don’t let them.
Blockade85 wrote yesterday with regard to the situation in the US “I’m angry, and I don’t know what to do. I can’t organise a protest, certainly not here. Too many people here LIKE what just happened. Now, I’m lost. We lost. Everything lost”. At first glance that does seem to be the case. But if you look on social media you’ll soon find that there are lots of people who feel the same and they’re talking about what to do next. You don’t have to be the next Doctor King or Peter Tatchell to play a part. There are a lot of different ways to get involved. Sometimes showing support or retweeting a message is a useful contribution. Letting others know they’re not alone helps. My fear is “ Doom Pill” content and the associated philosophy is being weaponised to keep people out of certain fights. A ploy to kill hope. Fuck that. Look after yourself mentally but don’t allow others to play upon such concerns, so that you end up sidelining yourself. Don’t let a fatigue of “Doom Pill” content kill your legitimate need to know what is actually going on.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 17
I was sitting in my office over the weekend, half-heartedly typing up a blog post about table manners and dining etiquette, when I paused and lapsed into a state of self examination and introspection.
“Isn’t Contains Moderate Peril supposed to be about gaming, movies and popular culture”? “Yes”, I replied to myself via my inner monologue.
“So what the hell am I doing writing about table manners, then?” my inner contrarian retorted.
“Well it is part of our culture, although I wouldn’t argue that it is a defining aspect of the zeitgeist at present” my conciliatory alter ego responded.
“Frankly, I’m getting bored with all of this per se” a third voice stated. It was at this point, I stopped arguing with various facets of my id and went to the pub.
I am currently having a R.J. MacReady moment
I was sitting in my office over the weekend, half-heartedly typing up a blog post about table manners and dining etiquette, when I paused and lapsed into a state of self examination and introspection.
“Isn’t Contains Moderate Peril supposed to be about gaming, movies and popular culture”? “Yes”, I replied to myself via my inner monologue.
“So what the hell am I doing writing about table manners, then?” my inner contrarian retorted.
“Well it is part of our culture, although I wouldn’t argue that it is a defining aspect of the zeitgeist at present” my conciliatory alter ego responded.
“Frankly, I’m getting bored with all of this per se” a third voice stated. It was at this point, I stopped arguing with various facets of my id and went to the pub.
While consuming a chilled libation I reflected upon these matters and contemplated the wider issue underpinning them. Does collating my thoughts for a blog post help me understand a subject better. Does writing allow me to make sense of the world and the human condition? Does maintaining a blog make me happy and provide a sense of purpose? The fact that I am writing this blog post surely indicates that the answer to these three questions is not “no”. However, it wasn’t a resounding “yes” either. If there is a single word that summarises my current emotional, philosophical and political disposition at present it is “ambivalence”. I have mixed feelings about a lot of things. Video games, the industry that creates them, film and TV, popular culture, contemporary politics, the state of the world, the rest of my life.
The pleasures of working working in retail
I have recently realised that I am at a crossroads in my life. After speaking to a financial advisor, I have decided that I won’t be returning to the job market. I am going to retire. Working part time may well improve my finances but I don’t believe it would improve the quality of my life. Work means directly or indirectly accepting a degree of bullshit into your life. This may be a problematic boss or problematic colleagues. Then there’s issues such as leave versus staffing schedules, potential stress (especially if dealing with the public) and lines of demarcation. I’m used to working within the parameters of a clearly defined contract. Yet working culture now seems to permeate one’s life outside of office hours. That is not for me. Plus, I’d be a square peg in a round hole in the modern work environment. A job is a quid pro quo; a means to make money. I have no interest in an employer's vision and how I can contribute to that.
Thus, as I am part of the “great resignation” and am not going back to work. I am focused upon what I intend to do with the years that I hopefully have left. Fortunately, I am never at a loose end and still have lots of interests. Mrs P and I also have numerous activities that we wish to do together. We also realise that we’re very fortunate to be in such a position. However, we have to temper our plans according to our finances, age and health. Hence, if something isn’t positively contributing to the quality of our lives, then it may well need to go. Which brings me back to my penchant for writing. It was once a career goal, then a form of therapy, now it is a hobby (possibly even an indulgence). And hobbies have an arc of their own. For the present, Contains Moderate Peril is going through a quiet patch because so am I. When I next become enthusiastic about something, the blog may well pick up.
Sniper Elite 5: Invasion
I was playing Sniper Elite 5 on launch day, slowly working my way through the single player campaign, when I came face to face with the new “invasion mode” that’s been added to the game. It is enabled by default and allows for another player to enter your game and hunt you down. The game does inform you of this mechanic and gives you the option to disable it if you so wish. However, I was so focused on fighting my way through the hedgerows of Normandy, I really didn’t pay attention to any of these prompts. Hence, when a message popped up stating “Axis Invasion”, I just assumed that reinforcements had been called after I alerted enemy NPCs to my presence. The next thing I knew, I was cut down in a hail of SMG fire only to be informed that I had been killed by another player. It didn’t take me long to figure out what happened and despite my initial surprise, I couldn’t help but feel that this is a pretty cool game mechanic.
I was playing Sniper Elite 5 on launch day, slowly working my way through the single player campaign, when I came face to face with the new “invasion mode” that’s been added to the game. It is enabled by default and allows for another player to enter your game and hunt you down. The game does inform you of this mechanic and gives you the option to disable it if you so wish. However, I was so focused on fighting my way through the hedgerows of Normandy, I really didn’t pay attention to any of these prompts. Hence, when a message popped up stating “Axis Invasion”, I just assumed that reinforcements had been called after I alerted enemy NPCs to my presence. The next thing I knew, I was cut down in a hail of SMG fire only to be informed that I had been killed by another player. It didn’t take me long to figure out what happened and despite my initial surprise, I couldn’t help but feel that this is a pretty cool game mechanic.
Every now and then, I like to step outside of my comfort zone when gaming. Technically, “invasion mode” in Sniper Elite 5 is PVP and usually that’s Kryptonite to me. Yet I decided to try it myself so I invaded someone else's game and I must admit I found the experience compelling. Other players are not predictable like AI controlled NPCs plus there are lots of other factors that make this a more subtle affair. If I invade another player’s game, they not only have to fend off the German NPCs but they also have to deal with me. I have one job to do, where they have to contend with the mission goals, hostile NPCs and another player. However, to balance that situation, developer’s Rebellion has given the player’s being invaded a wider set of abilities. This includes “focus” which temporarily highlights close by enemies. They can also carry a wider range of weapons. So with this in mind, it may come as a surprise that I’ve been playing the shit out of “invasion mode” in Sniper Elite 5 over the last few weeks.
As I’ve been having such fun as well as achieving a degree of success, I feel sufficiently emboldened to offer a few tips regarding “invasion mode”. Firstly, let us consider playing as an Axis player (German), invading a single player campaign in Sniper Elite 5.
To begin with, although you can unlock a variety of uniforms as you play, it makes a lot of sense to select a standard German infantry uniform, so that you blend in with all the NPCs. Pick something less common and you’ll stand out like a sore thumb.
As soon as you join someone else's game, press the escape key and see if they’re playing in co-op mode. If that is the case, you’ll have two enemies to hunt. Forewarned is forearmed.
Tag all friendly NPCs that you encounter, either by using your binoculars or pressing the left alt key and invoking focus. Tagged NPCs remain marked on your map as blue triangles. When they encounter the enemy their colour changes reflecting their status. Yellow for on alert and red for actively engaging the enemy.
Investigate alarms as and when they occur, as they’ll indicate where your enemy is.
Each map has specific objectives for the allied sniper to complete. Once you become familiar with these, you can sometimes anticipate where your enemy is heading. If you arrive ahead of them, it is worthwhile to tag all NPCs and boobytrapping key targets.
Familiarise yourself with the terrain and make use of cover. Do not camp but it does pay to stake out certain areas.
Take advantage of high ground. Cover routes that are likely to be used.
Become proficient with using an SMG as often you will encounter the enemy in a confined space or environment that doesn’t lend itself to using a rifle and scope.
Listen out for voice dialogue that plays when the allied player completes specific tasks. If you hear it, then you’re close to the other player. Cutscenes can also provide clear clues as to an enemies location.
When invading another player’s game, remember that they have set the difficulty setting. Health regeneration, weapon difficulty and HUD details may vary from game to game.
Don’t be afraid to take risks. Until you become competent you will more than likely die when initially playing “invasion mode”. You will get better with practice.
Remember that the player whose game you’re invading may complete the level before you find them. They may also die at the hands of NPCs. Therefore, be prepared to have a few games of cat and mouse that end without a kill.
Secondly, if you are playing as an allied player whose game is invaded, bear in mind the following.
The moment you’re notified that your game has been invaded, focus on hunting down the enemy player. If you try to juggle the ongoing mission objectives, while risking aggravating enemy NPCs, you’ll inevitably lead your enemy to your location.
Use focus regularly to determine who and what is nearby.
Don’t camp but choose carefully an appropriate area to face down your foe. Again high ground offers much advantage. If you retrace your footsteps you stand a good chance of tracking down the invader.
As an allied player you have a greater variety of explosives at your disposal. You can also loot bodies which the invader cannot do, so you can replenish your supply. Therefore lay boobytraps around choke points or anticipated routes.
Create distractions to attract enemy NPCs. You may also draw out the invading player.
Finally, here’s some general advice for both players. When you spot your enemy, take time to set up your shot. Do not panic fire.
If using an SMG, fire in short controlled bursts.
Avoid showboating such as melee kills or using grenades.
Use your binoculars for general reconnaissance. Remember that the scope on your rifle glints and that can give away your position.
Video Game Radio Stations
In 2000, I was the proud owner of a Sega Dreamcast. I had a broad selection of games for the console from multiple genres, including Metropolis Street Racer. This was an early example of an open world driving game which is noteworthy in itself. However, what stood out for me was that this was the first game that I had played which had in-game radio stations. Although this is something that is now de rigueur within this sub-genre, back then this was a novelty. The tracks were stored on the game CD but played selectively according to which radio station you were listening to when driving. The sound even broke up if you went into a tunnel. The songs were all original creations, rather than licensed properties. Although credited to faux bands and bogus artists, composer Richard Jacques wrote and arranged them all. I was especially fond of the Oasis inspired band Salford Quays and the track Live Your Life.
In 2000, I was the proud owner of a Sega Dreamcast. I had a broad selection of games for the console from multiple genres, including Metropolis Street Racer. This was an early example of an open world driving game which is noteworthy in itself. However, what stood out for me was that this was the first game that I had played which had in-game radio stations. Although this is something that is now de rigueur within this sub-genre, back then this was a novelty. The tracks were stored on the game CD but played selectively according to which radio station you were listening to when driving. The sound even broke up if you went into a tunnel. The songs were all original creations, rather than licensed properties. Although credited to faux bands and bogus artists, composer Richard Jacques wrote and arranged them all. I was especially fond of the Oasis inspired band Salford Quays and the track Live Your Life.
Since then I have played numerous games that make use of in-game radio stations and I’m always interested as to what material is included. Big triple A titles tend to use licensed music from established artists. The most obvious example being the Grand Theft Auto Franchise. A lot of time and thought is spent on curating playlists by the developers. Furthermore, a great deal of money is spent in securing the rights. When this process is done well, having the right song play while undertaking a complex mission or while cruising around an open world can make all the difference between an adequate gaming experience and a notable one. I still have clear memories of driving around Steelport in Saints Row: The Third in 2015 (when I bought the game as part of a bundle) and one particular track just being synonymous with mayhem and shenanigans. More on that later.
Grand Theft Auto V features an interesting selection of in-game radio stations. The game was released originally in 2013 but has been re-released on multiple generations of consoles over the course of its lifespan. During this time it has been continuously updated, to include additional music. Having sold 160 million units as of this year, many players have been introduced to classic tunes from the eighties and nineties through playing this game. On several occasions, I’ve been listening to a song on YouTube that has featured in this franchise, only to find a comment that reads along the lines of “I’m here because of GTA V”. This has included songs such as Small Town Boy by Bronski Beat, Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty and Rain by The Cult. Also more niche market tracks like John Wayne was a Nazi by MDC. Again I come back to my point that a good selection of music not only caters to a broad spectrum of musical tastes but adds a very atmospheric quality to the gameplay.
Naturally, I thought it would be fun to provide some examples of music that I’ve discovered via in-game radio stations. Rather than pick well known tracks, I have instead opted for earworms that are associated with playing a particular game. First off is Live Your Life by Salford Quays that I mentioned earlier from Metropolis Street Racer. It is a clever pastiche of Oasis, who themselves are a very derivative band. It may be bogus but it sticks with you.
Next we have Chow Mein by The Gaylords. Yes, I know, but this is from 1954. The song is featured in Mafia 2 and it is just so ridiculously archaic that it really can’t be taken seriously. I used to drive around the block if this track came on the in-game radio, just so I could listen to it all the way through.
Finally, indulge me with Save Me From Myself by Unknown Hinson. This psychobilly tune has worryingly plausible lyrics and a chorus that is insanely catchy. Sadly Mr Hinson said some off-colour comments about Dolly Parton and got himself cancelled but the track remains an integral part of Saints Row: The Third as far as I’m concerned. Feel free to mention songs you may have discovered via in-game radio stations.
BT Full Fibre
There is still a major “digital divide” in the UK despite the issue being on the political agenda for the last decade or so. Rural areas still suffer from slow internet speeds and a lack of choice with regards to ISPs. It is the wealthy urban communities that tend to have the best internet infrastructure and thus the best services. There are many third party companies that have been proactively installing fibre and competing against former monopoly holder British Telecommunications in recent years. The borough where I live has already seen Virgin Media roll out its cable services and offer customers 1Gbps internet connections. Hence BT has expedited the implementation of its Full Fibre service over the last twelve months, in a proactive attempt to compete and win back its share of the market. They are currently offering a range of services at very favourable prices. Something I decided to avail myself of.
There is still a major “digital divide” in the UK despite the issue being on the political agenda for the last decade or so. Rural areas still suffer from slow internet speeds and a lack of choice with regards to ISPs. It is the wealthy urban communities that tend to have the best internet infrastructure and thus the best services. There are many third party companies that have been proactively installing fibre and competing against former monopoly holder British Telecommunications in recent years. The borough where I live has already seen Virgin Media roll out its cable services and offer customers 1Gbps internet connections. Hence BT has expedited the implementation of its Full Fibre service over the last twelve months, in a proactive attempt to compete and win back its share of the market. They are currently offering a range of services at very favourable prices. Something I decided to avail myself of.
As an existing BT customer, I have recently been paying for a Fibre to the Cabinet broadband service of 50Mbps. Our household’s existing package also includes BT TV; a terrestrial and IP TV package via a bespoke DVR, along with a SIM only mobile call plan and an old school analogue landline. This is hardly a bad service compared to other parts of the UK. However, having access to Fibre to the Premises and potential speeds of 900Mbps is a major selling point so I did some investigating to see what sort of upgrade I could get for a nominal price increase. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. We were offered a deal where we could keep all the extras such as the TV and SIM package exactly as it is and move on to Full Fibre 100 which is the base level FTTP service. It provides speeds of 150Mbps and for the first six month the price is discounted, meaning a saving of £10 a month. When the discount expires, the full price is still reasonable, so we accepted the offer.
Yesterday, a BT engineer came to our house and installed the new BT Full Fibre service. A new cable was connected to the property from the telephone pole outside. A small junction box was discretely installed on the side of the house and the cabling tidily hidden from view. A small hole was drilled through the outside wall into the corner of the spare room which I use as an office. The world’s smallest modem was then attached above the skirting board, next to my desk. The whole enterprise took less than an hour. I’ve kept my existing router which now connects to the new modem instead of the traditional BT master phone socket. Internet speeds were immediately at the rate specified. The disruption to internet access was minimal. Another change worth mentioning is that our previous telephone handset for the landline has been superseded by a new one which works via voice over IP.
The internet is an integral part of my day to day life. Hence, upgrading my home internet connection to FTTP is no different in my opinion to building an extension to my house or buying a bigger car to accommodate a growing family. I am simply increasing capacity to support increased usage. Nobody ever says “ I need less internet bandwidth”. The cost of this enterprise has been acceptable and within our household budget. We’ve signed another two year contract with BT but as our business relationship with them is equitable, this does not present any problems. Now that FTTP has been installed, the bandwidth can be increased at a future date if it is required. Once again, I consider myself very fortunate to live in an area where such infrastructure is in place and accessible. Should we move house in the future, I suspect that internet access will be a key factor in our search and overall choice.
Murphy's War (1971)
During the last days of World War II, the British Merchant Navy ship Mount Kyle is torpedoed by a German U-Boat off the coast of Venezuela. The crew are subsequently massacred as they abandon ship, leaving one survivor, an Irish engineer named Murphy (Peter O’Toole). After being rescued by Louis Brezon (Philippe Noiret), a caretaker for an oil company which has a pipeline in the area, he is taken to a local missionary medical facility run by Dr. Hayden (Siân Phillips). Upon recovering, Murphy becomes determined to find the U-Boat that sank his ship and seeks revenge. However, as the war is clearly drawing to a close Dr. Hayden is reluctant to help him and tries to dissuade him from his plan as it may endanger the local community. In the meantime, Murphy finds a damaged Grumman J2F Duck floatplane from his ship and salvages it. With the assistance of Louis, he makes some improvised munitions and draws his plans against the Germans.
During the last days of World War II, the British Merchant Navy ship Mount Kyle is torpedoed by a German U-Boat off the coast of Venezuela. The crew are subsequently massacred as they abandon ship, leaving one survivor, an Irish engineer named Murphy (Peter O’Toole). After being rescued by Louis Brezon (Philippe Noiret), a caretaker for an oil company which has a pipeline in the area, he is taken to a local missionary medical facility run by Dr. Hayden (Siân Phillips). Upon recovering, Murphy becomes determined to find the U-Boat that sank his ship and seeks revenge. However, as the war is clearly drawing to a close Dr. Hayden is reluctant to help him and tries to dissuade him from his plan as it may endanger the local community. In the meantime, Murphy finds a damaged Grumman J2F Duck floatplane from his ship and salvages it. With the assistance of Louis, he makes some improvised munitions and draws his plans against the Germans.
I suspect that Murphy’s War was intended to be a minimalist exploration of the old adage “if you devote your life to seeking revenge, first dig two graves”. Written by Stirling Silliphant (The Enforcer, Towering Inferno) and directed by Peter Yates (Bullitt, The Deep and Krull), Murphy’s War teases the audience with several instances of potential narrative depths. What motivates U-Boat Commander Lauchs (Horst Janson) to shoot the crew of the Mount Kyle, as they pose no threat to him or his vessel? Is there a love triangle between Murphy, Dr. Hayden and Louis? Why is Murphy so motivated to destroy the U-Boat, considering he initially comes across as a reluctant seaman with little love for English Officers. There’s even a tenuous reference to the IRA. Is he deranged or honourable? These questions raise some interesting opportunities for the film to explore some timeless cinematic themes.
Sadly, even within the deliberately understated framework of seventies cinema, these elements are woefully neglected, leaving us with a matter of fact story that struggles to fill its 106 minutes running time. It’s all somewhat ponderous and very frustrating when considering the quality of the cast and production. Hence we have lengthy scenes in which Murphy struggles to fly the salvaged seaplane and then later, flying around the Orinoco River searching for his quarry. It’s all beautifully shot by veteran cinematographer, Douglas Slocombe, but it often feels like padding to bolster a story that isn’t anywhere near as deep as it likes to think. The climax of the film and Murphy’s subsequent Pyrrhic victory lacks any dramatic impact because there’s no explanation for his descent into a latter day Captain Ahab. The audience is left to ponder whether it was all worthwhile and I for one, broadly feel that it wasn’t. Considering the pedigree of this production, Murphy’s War should be much better.
A Month in Gaming
Usually I keep subscribing to an MMORPG, even if I’m not playing it that much. I like to have options in case I decide to log in on a whim. Especially if an absent friend returns to a particular game presenting an opportunity to catch up. However, the current economic climate is no longer something that I can ignore. Although far from having a low income, the current ongoing increase in the cost of living is becoming apparent, so I have been fiscally prudent and cancelled my monthly subscriptions to Star Wars: The Old Republic and The Lord of the Rings Online. Both have provided me with a lot of entertainment over the last three to four months but until new content becomes available, I can happily dispense with them for the meantime. Not only have I saved £17.98 on subscriptions, I shall no longer be making ad hoc purchases of in-game currencies. Something I have been doing a lot more than usual of late.
Usually I keep subscribing to an MMORPG, even if I’m not playing it that much. I like to have options in case I decide to log in on a whim. Especially if an absent friend returns to a particular game presenting an opportunity to catch up. However, the current economic climate is no longer something that I can ignore. Although far from having a low income, the current ongoing increase in the cost of living is becoming apparent, so I have been fiscally prudent and cancelled my monthly subscriptions to Star Wars: The Old Republic and The Lord of the Rings Online. Both have provided me with a lot of entertainment over the last three to four months but until new content becomes available, I can happily dispense with them for the meantime. Not only have I saved £17.98 on subscriptions, I shall no longer be making ad hoc purchases of in-game currencies. Something I have been doing a lot more than usual of late.
May saw the release of Sniper Elite 5 and as ever, I have found the game thoroughly engrossing. I have written a more substantial review elsewhere but I just want to reiterate how this franchise is the complete opposite of the fast paced insanity and lightning reflexes of Call of Duty. I find taking my time in Sniper Elite, tagging all targets and waiting for as long as it takes to make the right shot, is immensely satisfying. All too often, modern gaming is excessively frenetic, bombastic and overwhelming. Sniper Elite is the antidote to this. I also made a brief return to Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout recently. It is still fun in small doses and the cosmetic aspect of the game is a major contributor to that enjoyment. As a Prime Gaming customer (part of being an Amazon Prime subscriber), there are frequently free outfits to claim each month. Despite having played this game for two years now, I still haven’t achieved being the “last player standing” and thus won a complete tournament.
I surprised myself recently by reinstalling Guild Wars 2. Again I’ve written at length in the past as to the point of returning to a game that requires me to spend time in a zone I loathe. However, unlike some other MMOs that require you to tinker with your client once it’s downloaded, or update a plethora of third party addons, installing Guild Wars 2 is really simple. The game launcher downloads at a reasonable rate and once done, you can jump straight back into the game. It even remembered all my personal settings. I quickly found my favourite character, a human ranger, where I left them in Queensdale and jumped into an event that used to be part of the “Champion Train”. I noticed that everyone now has mounts and was briefly tempted to look into this. I suspect that it will require a grind of some kind, so I’m going to nip this flight of fancy in the bud, immediately. Plus, why do I need a mount when I have a flying carpet?
Over the forthcoming summer, I intend to tackle some of the games I have amassed across various platforms such as Epic and Steam. The first title I intend to explore is Jedi: Fallen Order as it has enjoyed a lot of praise and flown in the face of EA’s numerous claims over the last decade that single player games are “finished”. I’m also tempted to play through another Assassin’s Creed game, as I enjoyed Black Flag so much last year. I recently spotted that I had a copy of Control: Ultimate Edition, which has piqued my curiosity as I have no idea when or where I got a copy. This is what happens when you arbitrarily claim any free games offered to you. Hence I’m not lacking anything to play in the months ahead. It will be a pleasant change to be able to write about something new in the next instalment of “A Month in Gaming”, rather than the usual MMOs.
Partygate
I try to keep my thoughts on political matters to a minimum here at Contains Moderate Peril, mainly because UK politics and the current state of discourse associated with it has become an absolute shit show in recent years. Brexit broke traditional politics and has made matters far more tribal and partisan. The two main parties have declined from having clear ideologies, identities and manifestos, to becoming either a lobby group for the specific demographic group that supports them, or a conflicted, divided and schizoid shadow of its former self. I’ll let you work out which is which. Politics is no longer about governing a nation for the benefit of all its citizens. Now you simply pick a side and join the ongoing culture war against everyone and everything else. This rotten system produces rotten leaders. Hence, when Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson became Prime Minister in December 2019, it was clear that the nation was taking a major risk on such a man. His failings as a politician and a person are a matter of public record for anyone who has the eyes to see them.
I try to keep my thoughts on political matters to a minimum here at Contains Moderate Peril, mainly because UK politics and the current state of discourse associated with it has become an absolute shit show in recent years. Brexit broke traditional politics and has made matters far more tribal and partisan. The two main parties have declined from having clear ideologies, identities and manifestos, to becoming either a lobby group for the specific demographic group that supports them, or a conflicted, divided and schizoid shadow of its former self. I’ll let you work out which is which. Politics is no longer about governing a nation for the benefit of all its citizens. Now you simply pick a side and join the ongoing culture war against everyone and everything else. This rotten system produces rotten leaders. Hence, when Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson became Prime Minister in December 2019, it was clear that the nation was taking a major risk on such a man. His failings as a politician and a person are a matter of public record for anyone who has the eyes to see them.
Over the last 2 years, Johnson has overseen a litany of political failures. Sadly, the only people with the power to remove him from office are his own MPs. The Conservative party has a long and established history of regicide. They will circle the wagons and defend their leader without question in a crisis, until it becomes clear that the aforementioned leader is an electoral liability and they could lose their own seats. Then the knives are unsheathed, as Margaret Thatcher, John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard all found out. However, Johnson is proving to be the most slippery of eels. The fact that there is no clear successor is an invaluable get out of jail card for the PM. The UK is also in the midst of a major cost of living crisis, there’s a war in Europe and the government is about to embark upon a trade dispute with the EU. All of which are sound reasons why no one possibly wants the job at present. However, there’s one scandal that just doesn’t want to go away, like a wayward stool in an avocado coloured, seventies toilet. Partygate.
For those who live outside of the UK who may not be fully up to speed with this issue, I’ll try my best to summarise. If you wish for more detail, then do watch this video from last month by BBC journalist Ros Atkins. From March to December 2020, the UK was subject to some very stringent COVID-19 restrictions. In the run up to Christmas, there were concerns about a resurgence of the virus, so the rules governing social distancing, gatherings and general interaction were tightened. Simply put, people could not meet friends and families, socialising was out of the question and the idea of traditional Christmas celebrations were out of the question. People could not visit sick and dying relatives in hospitals. Funerals were heavily restricted. UK citizens made major personal sacrifices for the greater public good. Unlike the Prime Minister, his staff and various other Cabinet Ministers who broke their own rules as they partied and fraternised. Johnson is far from a complicated individual. He likes to be perceived as a “good guy” and “fun”. Hence, he brought a “play hard” culture with him when he took office. He sadly neglected the “work hard” part.
Now if you are a hardened cynic or feel disposed towards being politically obtuse, you may ask “is this really such a big deal. It’s just a party”. To which I would reply, it wasn’t one there were over a dozen and at least 8 have been subject to a Police investigation resulting in 126 fines, including the Prime Minister himself. But the parties are in many respects a misdirection. To quote Bruce Lee “it is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory”. The biggest issue stemming from so-called Partygate is the Prime Minister denying any malfeasance. On multiple occasions, Johnson stated categorically in the House of Commons that there were no parties and all COVID-19 related regulations were followed. Yet he was fined for attending his own birthday party. Something he has justified by claiming he didn’t know it was a party. Let us take a moment to reflect upon this state of affairs. Johnson has denied any wrongdoing time and time again. Yet he is now the only ever serving UK Prime Minister to receive a fine for breaking the law. Laws that he oversaw through Parliament.
Today, after last week’s announcement by the Metropolitan Police that no further criminal action would be taken against the Prime Minister, several photographs have reached ITV News showing Johnson attending what any sane person would classify as a party. The photo shows at least 7 guests, the PM and were taken by an official photographer. 9 people in a room drinking and clearly socialising, with 6 open bottles of alcohol in view. 7 if they also drank the hand sanitiser. Naturally like all modern digital photos, it contains data pertaining to where and when it was taken. Allegedly that was on November 13th 2020. On 8th December 2020, Labour MP Catherine West asked the Prime Minister in the Commons if a party had taken place in Downing Street on 13th November. Johnson replied “No - but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times”. Was this a lie and a clear example of the PM misleading Parliament? Something that has always been considered a resigning offence.
The scandal that is Partygate has been rumbling on since December 2021. The continual drip, drip of information, photos and tip offs grew to the point where it was dominating the political agenda by the end of January this year. Hence Johnson appointed senior civil servant Sue Gray, Second Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office, to investigate the matter. Her report has already been delayed once, when in February the Metropolitan Police retrospectively decided to investigate the alleged lockdown infractions. However, her report is due to be published this week and will certainly ensure that the story once again dominates the headlines. Already, several important questions have emerged, prior to its publication. Why did Ms Gray meet with the PM to discuss the report last week? Although Johnson is Ms Gray’s boss, is it appropriate for these parties to meet without the minutes of that meeting being fully disclosed? And why have the Metropolitan Police fined people who attended the party in the picture published today but have not sanctioned the PM for a second time?
A politician's relationship with the truth is often a strained one. However, the role of Prime Minister requires that basic standards are adhered to. For want of another phrase you have to be “sound”, in the Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister sense of the word. The UK is still a major player on the international stage although that soft power is fast evaporating. A Prime Minister has to be considered trustworthy by their international allies as well as their own electorate. They have to uphold the rule of law and their word must be considered bond. A proven liar cannot do such things and is a calamity for both domestic and international politics. A democracy in which the truth is openly scorned and deemed an impediment is a broken democracy. Sadly, this is where the UK currently stands. If Johnson remains in office then the only remaining route is down. However, the Gray Report may be a scandal too far. There are two By-elections coming up and if the Conservatives lose these seats there may be repercussions for the PM from his own party. I suspect that the PM is in an extremely uncomfortable position at present, both politically and personally. Has good fortune finally deserted him? I do hope so.
Losing Weight
I weighed myself this morning before writing this post. As of 6:05 AM today I weigh 188 lbs (13 stone 6 lbs or 85.3 kg). To give this data some sort of context I am 5’11 tall and 54 years old. Prior to my more recent weight gain, I have had an athletic build for most of my life. During my twenties and thirties, while I was still a smoker, my weight stayed around 133 lbs. When I quit my 30 a day cigarette habit I gained about 14 lbs or so over the following months and then stayed at that weight for a further decade. Even with the onset of middle age my weight has not been excessive and my build has accommodated any gain quite well. It has only been over the last 5 years that it has increased to a level that I consider to be neither flattering or healthy. This was brought home to me a few days ago when I saw my reflection in a mirror while on holiday. The incident has given me pause for thought and galvanised me to take action.
I weighed myself this morning before writing this post. As of 6:05 AM today I weigh 188 lbs (13 stone 6 lbs or 85.3 kg). To give this data some sort of context I am 5’11 tall and 54 years old. Prior to my more recent weight gain, I have had an athletic build for most of my life. During my twenties and thirties, while I was still a smoker, my weight stayed around 133 lbs. When I quit my 30 a day cigarette habit I gained about 14 lbs or so over the following months and then stayed at that weight for a further decade. Even with the onset of middle age my weight has not been excessive and my build has accommodated any gain quite well. It has only been over the last 5 years that it has increased to a level that I consider to be neither flattering or healthy. This was brought home to me a few days ago when I saw my reflection in a mirror while on holiday. The incident has given me pause for thought and galvanised me to take action.
To cut a long story short my excess weight has all gone on the front of my chest and my neck has thickened. My arms, legs and butt seem to have avoided this process. Currently, my profile is somewhere between Alfred Hitchcock and Mr. Greedy. Hence, bending down is difficult due to this bulk physically being in the way. The excess weight is also slowing me down and I find myself getting breathless when exerting myself. Shirts, T-shirts and jackets are now tight across my chest, restricting my breathing and generally contributing to an ongoing feeling of being uncomfortable. I was diagnosed last year with an irregular heartbeat and I’m sure my increase in weight has contributed to this. Setting aside the obvious health benefits of losing weight, I just don’t like the way I look at present. The world has no shortage of overweight, middle aged white guys and I don’t wish to add to their numbers.
I have always enjoyed my food, a habit I inherited from my father. I look forward to meals and consider them as something to relish, rather than just an arbitrary intake of bodily fuel. However, it is clear to me now that in recent years I have fallen into the trap of recreational eating and to a degree comfort eating. And it would be remiss of me not to state how much alcohol contributes to weight gain. Effectively since the first lockdown in 2020, I have treated day to day life like one continuous bank holiday, with regard to my drinking habits. I don’t think I have a drinking problem in any way. I just enjoy a social pint and drinking is an integral part of the UK cultural landscape. But I need to address this and will be abstaining from all forms of booze till the end of the month. I suspect that this may well be a key factor in any weight loss regime.
Like most things I do in life, I shall be working to a plan. Hence I will be logging meals and adjusting portion sizes. I will maintain a three meal a day regime with a moratorium on eating after 8:00 PM. I’ll use the existing health app on my phone (that goes with my smartband) to track my weight. I tend to adhere to processes and schedules more efficiently if I “gamify” them. Furthermore, I shall post my progress here as I find that writing about the various things going on in my life helps me process them. To clarify my goals, I am looking to lose initially 14 lbs (1 stone, 6.3 kg). If this is achieved easily and in a relatively short period of time (perhaps by the end of August), I may then set myself an additional target if I feel there is scope for further healthy weight loss. As ever I welcome comments and opinions, especially from those who are currently embarking upon a similar weight loss plan. If you are, then good luck.
“I’m Entitled to My Opinion and It Should Be Respected”
One of the most curious aspects of the modern corporate culture is the need for businesses to present some sort of ethical persona to their customers and the wider market. It is contradictory to say the least to watch such institutions that are by their very nature predatory, espouse a moral stance on social issues such as climate change and equality. Yet, this is something they do regularly, with a straight face and a tin ear. The recent leak of a draft document by SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade has seen several companies take a stance and release press statements both externally and internally. However, an email sent to Sony staff by PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, has proven more interesting than others. This is mainly due to Ryan reiterating a common “informal fallacy”; that everyone is entitled to their opinion and by default that opinion should be respected.
One of the most curious aspects of the modern corporate culture is the need for businesses to present some sort of ethical persona to their customers and the wider market. It is contradictory to say the least to watch such institutions that are by their very nature predatory, espouse a moral stance on social issues such as climate change and equality. Yet, this is something they do regularly, with a straight face and a tin ear. The recent leak of a draft document by SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade has seen several companies take a stance and release press statements both externally and internally. However, an email sent to Sony staff by PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, has proven more interesting than others. This is mainly due to Ryan reiterating a common “informal fallacy”; that everyone is entitled to their opinion and by default that opinion should be respected.
Ryan stated that Playstation employees, as well as customers are a “multi-faceted and diverse” community who hold “many different points of view”. He went on to say that staff and the company “owe it to each other and to PlayStation’s millions of users to respect differences of opinion among everyone in our internal and external communities. Respect does not equal agreement. But it is fundamental to who we are as a company and as a valued global brand”. The logical flaws in this statement stand out like a sore thumb and it would appear that critical thinking and constructing a sound argument are not part of Jim Ryan’s executive skill set. Mind you, such things are conspicuously absent from our politics and public discourse as well, so why should big business be any different?
Plato established a difference between personal opinion or a commonly held belief (doxa) and provable knowledge (episteme) in his theory of forms, over 2,000 years ago. It is still a viable distinction today. A personal opinion is subjective and often uncertain due to reliance upon interpretation, feelings and other nebulous factors. 1+1=2 is a fact that can be clearly proven. In most functioning democracies, all citizens have a right to hold an opinion irrespective of its veracity or rectitude. But that does not mean that one has a right not to have one’s opinion challenged. There is no legal, ethical or logical obligation to respect another’s opinion. Why for example, should any respect, courtesy or deference be extended to a view couched in bigotry and prejudice? Also why should an opinion that cannot be backed up by facts to establish its validity or merit be afforded some sort of protected status?
All too often the claim that “I’m entitled to my opinion and it should be respected” or similarly, “let us agree to disagree” is a means to try and avoid scrutiny and to account for one’s view. It is a petulant and churlish demand that one’s view is given equal consideration with one that can be substantiated. It seeks to establish false equivalence and if denied, often prompts claims of victimhood. It is the faux argument of choice by those that want to compete with knowledge and expertise, without doing the necessary “due diligence”. Too many people conflate losing an argument with losing the right to argue. Obviously in the case of Jim Ryan’s comments, calls to respect differing opinions is also about “cakeism”; trying to please all customers regardless of their perspective. It is not only an intellectually bankrupt stance but a cynical one. Sadly that seems to be a prevailing trait of modern corporate ideology.
Eurovision 2022
The Eurovision Song Contest is a lot of things but it is never dull. Even if the songs that make it through to the final are a little lacklustre, there’s always drama to be found in the scoring. The first round of votes come from national juries made up of professionals from the music industry. Hence there is a propensity to judge songs on their technical and marketing merits. This often means that the juries favour songs that don’t necessarily appeal to the public. However, this is addressed in the second round in which the viewers can vote. The only caveat is that you cannot vote for your own country. Hence things can really change after the professional jury votes are counted and the public votes are added to the overall score. And that is what happened last night. There was a massive public vote for Ukrainian entry Stefania by the Kalush Orchestra and they subsequently won the contest.
The Eurovision Song Contest is a lot of things but it is never dull. Even if the songs that make it through to the final are a little lacklustre, there’s always drama to be found in the scoring. The first round of votes come from national juries made up of professionals from the music industry. Hence there is a propensity to judge songs on their technical and marketing merits. This often means that the juries favour songs that don’t necessarily appeal to the public. However, this is addressed in the second round in which the viewers can vote. The only caveat is that you cannot vote for your own country. Hence things can really change after the professional jury votes are counted and the public votes are added to the overall score. And that is what happened last night. There was a massive public vote for Ukrainian entry Stefania by the Kalush Orchestra and they subsequently won the contest.
This outcome was predicted in advance by the media due to the wave of international support that has been maintained for Ukraine, since the Russian invasion began on 24th February this year. However, setting aside for a moment the sense of solidarity that is abroad, the song itself is an interesting, quirky and catchy mixture of folk and rap. Furthermore, if you watch the official video for Stefania, which has subtitles, it is a powerful statement on the current situation in Ukraine. I think British composer David Arnold summarised best the significance of this win and the relevance of Eurovision itself. Something that has often baffled the UK. “This is why Eurovision is an important cultural event that doesn’t deserve to be sneered at. I’ve been banging on about it for years but it really does have huge meaning for so many people and countries”.
Personally, I found this Eurovision Song Contest a little light on the theatrical performances that are so often associated with the competition. There were too many ballads and manufactured pop songs that have been contrived to follow the style and idiom of the mainstream. However, Norway and Moldova came up trumps and gave us the kitsch pantomime that so many of us love. And it would be remiss of me to not mention the menacing psycho-drama that was Serbia’s entry. But for me the biggest surprise of the night was how well Sam Ryder did for the UK. Considering last year the UK scored absolutely nothing, this was a most welcome change. The song Space Man is a solid earworm that channels Queen, Elton John and The Beatles. Overall this year’s Eurovision Song Contest was a solid evening’s entertainment. As ever, I enjoyed completing my score sheet at home and hanging out on Twitter, soaking up the communal aspect of this annual event.
Guilds Are Not Group Therapy
I was recently trawling through some screen captures from 2009, taken when I was a very active player in the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Several included the chat window as I hadn’t turned off the GUI when I pressed “print screen”. Hence I read a few fragments of chat which subsequently reminded me of a problematic situation our guild experienced for a couple of months. That being when someone joins your guild and at first seems like a good fit but later starts becoming difficult and unreasonable with regard to their expectations and online behaviour. The person in question in this instance eventually stated that they had mental health issues but by the time this was raised a lot of harm had been done to all parties concerned. They ended up leaving after an argument centred around perceived personal slights and a lack of support for their needs. It was an upsetting experience that was poorly handled, although it wasn’t any particular person’s fault.
I was recently trawling through some screen captures from 2009, taken when I was a very active player in the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Several included the chat window as I hadn’t turned off the GUI when I pressed “print screen”. Hence I read a few fragments of chat which subsequently reminded me of a problematic situation our guild experienced for a couple of months. That being when someone joins your guild and at first seems like a good fit but later starts becoming difficult and unreasonable with regard to their expectations and online behaviour. The person in question in this instance eventually stated that they had mental health issues but by the time this was raised a lot of harm had been done to all parties concerned. They ended up leaving after an argument centred around perceived personal slights and a lack of support for their needs. It was an upsetting experience that was poorly handled, although it wasn’t any particular person’s fault.
To summarise, a new player joined our LOTRO guild (kinship in the games own parlance) after grouping with some of our officers. They had been up to that point polite although a little shy and keen to learn and undertake group content. They did not use voice chat but would listen in and communicate via the chat window, which was not unusual as we had several other players that did this for a variety of reasons. After a while, especially when running instances and raids, they began to get frustrated with failure and when the group wiped. Although we never ever as a group blamed anyone, this person began to suggest we were inferring it. They also made a lot of suggestions regarding gameplay and strategy that were not relevant or useful. They had previously been an active player of another MMO and didn’t seem to understand that the mechanics and dynamics were not transferable.
It all culminated in a major argument one Friday night during a planned raid. Again a group wipe caused frustration for them. Supportive comments in chat about getting “back on the horse” were misinterpreted. Sub argument broke out via direct messages and then it started getting acrimonious. Eventually the guild leader interceded and politely suggested that the player take some time out to calm down and that they would happily listen to any legitimate concerns. It was at this point that the upset player declared to have mental health issues and that they were looking to the guild to work these through. It seemed that every positive thing said to placate and defuse the situation was taken the wrong way and they then quit the guild and vanished into the ether. A long and detailed in-game mail was sent the next day claiming bullying and callousness, none of which from my perspective was true. The player then either deleted or renamed their character and was subsequently untraceable.
Over the years, I have noticed that the MMO genre attracts a lot of people who have personal problems and who are facing mental health issues. MMOs offer a means of social interaction that is far more controlled and potentially manageable compared to those in real life. You can reinvent your persona and the way you are perceived. Chatting in text puts you far more in control of the situation. Hence you can see why MMOs are appealing to the introverted and those who wish a degree of privacy, while still having company and fun. However, the pendulum can swing equally the other way. Text driven chat can be a blunt tool. If you can’t see or hear someone, you can miss a lot of social cues. Irony and sarcasm are an obvious example. Plus, even online and within the superficially cosy atmosphere of an MMO, a lot of the problems from regular social interaction still persist. There are dominant personalities, cliques, power struggles and egos to deal with.
Hence, although I can see the allure of seeing an MMO as a safe or at least controlled environment to meet people and work through or address one’s personal problems, it strikes me as a far from appropriate environment to treat as a form of therapy. I’m sure some gamers may well contradict me and possibly cite positive examples of how they used their guilds as a medium for self healing. If that is the case then well done but I’m not sure if that is the prevailing experience. With regard to the anecdote I shared earlier, I was unaware of the person in question’s issues and even if they had talked about them earlier, would not have felt adequately equipped to help them beyond basic common decency. It also strikes me as a little unrealistic to expect too much from guild mates, when your main social bond is just playing and enjoying the game together.
Some guilds are set up to specifically cater to particular people or groups. To provide a safe space, a friendly environment and a support network. That is a different kettle of fish and a far cry from joining a casual guild of random players. It is difficult to gauge exactly what you should and should not expect from other players when joining a guild. I am happy to be welcoming and supportive to new players. But where does that social obligation end exactly? I find myself with more questions than answers. However, I feel that guilds are not an ideal medium for group therapy or as a means to self treat. I still look back on this incident from 2009 with a degree of upset. Did we do something wrong? Or were we wrong footed through no fault of our own? I wonder about the wellbeing of the individual concerned but as I previously stated, they vanished. Something that the internet accommodates quite well.
Naming Your Character in SWTOR
Star Wars: The Old Republic is over a decade old. That is quite a significant achievement for an MMORPG. Maintaining a stable player population is not easy and a lot of MMOs find themselves in a state of managed decline and then eventually shut down long before they’ve reached such an age. However, that is not the case with SWTOR. I recently returned to the game in February and as far as I can see, there is still a very active player base. However, I did come back just as a new expansion was launched. Conversely, as well as active players, there is also a lot of evidence of inactive players, by dint of the fact that I have really struggled to secure a “suitable” character name for one of my new alts. Specifically a Sith Warrior. It would appear that a lot of names are currently taken. I tried over thirty names before I found one that was available.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is over a decade old. That is quite a significant achievement for an MMORPG. Maintaining a stable player population is not easy and a lot of MMOs find themselves in a state of managed decline and then eventually shut down long before they’ve reached such an age. However, that is not the case with SWTOR. I recently returned to the game in February and as far as I can see, there is still a very active player base. However, I did come back just as a new expansion was launched. Conversely, as well as active players, there is also a lot of evidence of inactive players, by dint of the fact that I have really struggled to secure a “suitable” character name for one of my new alts. Specifically a Sith Warrior. It would appear that a lot of names are currently taken. I tried over thirty names before I found one that was available.
This problem seems to be specific to the Sith classes. Despite being ten years old and a lot of names being taken, it is not as difficult to secure the one that you want for other classes. This is because SWTOR supports the use of spaces and apostrophes in its naming convention. Hence if you are creative with spelling, it is fairly straightforward to make a first name and surname. However, Sith classes are more problematic if you wish to be “lore friendly”. Most Sith characters have a single name which is then prefixed with the title Darth. In SWTOR if you complete the first chapter of the Sith Warrior storyline you are awarded this title. Hence a lot of players create a character with a single name and use the in-game title system to prefix it with Acolyte and Darth accordingly as they progress through the story. Herein lies the problem.
Therefore, if you are seeking a single name for your Sith character that reflects the lore of Star Wars then you’ll find your options quite limited. As a rule Sith characters have enigmatic, portentous names. Darth Tyranus or Sidious for example. Hence as a player you’ll be looking for words that can be augmented or general cool names like Obsidian or Malignant. However, all such variants are taken. After about a dozen failed attempts I then decided to try a less scattershot approach and drew up a list of names and worked through them. I included people and creatures from Roman and Greek mythology such as Manticore, Xenophon and Talos. I then translated interesting words into Latin, as these proved appropriate. For example, “monstrous” which translates to immanis. I even ended up trying the names of Numenorean Kings but to no avail.
Eventually, I found a name that worked. It required some spelling alterations and is three syllables instead of the more desirable two, but it hadn’t been taken so it was accepted. I had to plunder the annals of Cornish folklore to find a viable name. Thus my Sith Warrior is now Acolyte Khormoran. Comoran being the Giant that terrorised Cornwall during the reign of King Arthur. So all’s well that ends well. The pedantic may wish to point out that I could have spared myself a lot of hassle simply by creating a name with Darth in the title right at the outset. Indeed I could but then my character would have been sporting the title “Darth” before it was earned causing a lore and continuity calamity. However, regardless where one stands on such issues, the fact remains that finding the right name in a decade old MMO can be a problem. Which is why more recent games have introduced more flexible systems.
The Problem With Online Reviews
I recently broke the “free loop” on my smartband strap (and yes, I had to look that up to find the proper terminology). A quick search on Amazon verified that replacements were easily available. However, I couldn’t find any made by the manufacturer, Huawei, so I then started trawling through the third party clones. I narrowed the choice down to about three and then read their associated “reviews” made by those who may or may not (more on the latter shortly) have bought them. You wouldn’t think that something as innocuous as a silicon watch strap could engender such opprobrium and outrage. But apparently they do. As do so many other products and services. Hence the title of this post and my assertion that most online reviews are redundant. Perhaps it would be prudent to add a tenth level of hell to Dante’s Inferno which addresses this sorry issue.
I recently broke the “free loop” on my smartband strap (and yes, I had to look that up to find the proper terminology). A quick search on Amazon verified that replacements were easily available. However, I couldn’t find any made by the manufacturer, Huawei, so I then started trawling through the third party clones. I narrowed the choice down to about three and then read their associated “reviews” made by those who may or may not (more on the latter shortly) have bought them. You wouldn’t think that something as innocuous as a silicon watch strap could engender such opprobrium and outrage. But apparently they do. As do so many other products and services. Hence the title of this post and my assertion that most online reviews are redundant. Perhaps it would be prudent to add a tenth level of hell to Dante’s Inferno which addresses this sorry issue.
I am going to compliment all of us by assuming that we all know exactly what the function of a product or service review is. Sadly, it is clear by the reviews and comments left on so many sites such as Amazon, Argos, Curry’s and many, many other online retailers that a lot of people don’t. For example, I see no correlation between the font used on a product’s packaging and its ability to perform the function for which it is created. Yet I have seen reviews that suggest this. I have also read reviews for the most trivial of products that have somehow managed to enrage the customer to levels comparable to a Klingon Blood Feud. Exactly how a poorly made, novelty coaster can be seen as a slur on your honour and that of your Shaolin Temple is beyond me. Yet you’ll find these sorts of reviews and comments everywhere. When I was last at the Science Museum in London, someone had left a strident complaint in the visitors book (in capital letters) that it was all a bit too “sciency”.
Now there is scope for this post to become a sprawling catalogue of amusing anecdotes but I don’t think that is really necessary to validate my point. In principle, allowing customers an option to leave feedback about the products they’ve bought is a sound idea. It is sadly hamstrung by the reality that those who feel most disposed to avail themselves of such services, are often those least equipped to do so. Naturally, you have to allow for a percentage of comments that are just pure trolling. However, if you filter those out, you still find a wealth of irate customers who seem to feel that they have been actively conspired against. Upon reflection, such comments and reviews paint a very worrying picture of our society. It brings into question such things as the state of critical thinking, emotional literacy and appropriate behaviour in our wider society.
A lot of people certainly do seem to have unrealistic expectations regarding the products they buy. Is it wise to presume commensurate standards between buying a laptop and buying a multipack of fat balls for your bird feeder. Also, mass production always has scope for some items to fail quality control. If you are unfortunate to have a broken item delivered is it really likely that the manufacturers planned this like a Bond villain in a volcano lair? Is wishing death and damnation to all associated with the company until the tenth generation, really an appropriate response? And then there are those people who happily admit that they haven’t bought the product in question but feel compelled to join in, get involved and “contribute” to the discussion. This particular group worries the hell out of me and seems to be a direct result of the 24/7 society and the way we are driven towards continuous engagement, whether we wish it or not.
I managed to choose a new strap, despite the various comments that the manufacturers were “utter bastards” and that the product was not handmade from the finest materials and brought to my door on a silver platter. I worked out how to attach it without resorting to using a bread knife to saw it off, as one review complained. So far the strap has not presented any problems. If it lasts a year it will have merited its £5 cost. Have I learned a lesson as a result of this experience? Yes I have. I am not going to totally ignore user reviews and comments in future. But I will use any filter function judiciously. “Sort by relevance” is quite effective. If they want to add a means to ignore all crazy comments, I’d happily embrace that functionality. In a modern democracy it is hard to stop the “furiously hard of thinking” from expressing their views. I’d rather not play to their fears of being “cancelled”. But if I can mute their existence during my online experiences I’d consider that a win.