Reality Check: Why Your Argument About Cyber-Bullying is Bullshit.

Back in February 2012, there was a Street Fighter X Tekken tournament called Cross Assault[1].  It was a Capcom sponsored reality show streamed live on IGN.  It started February 22, 2012 and lasted for a week featuring two (2) teams of five (5) players and two (2) coaches for a total of 12 participants.

During the event, the only female participant was continually sexually harassed by her team’s own coach.  The sexual harassment was captured on video and audio and played live on IGN & Twitch.tv.  The sexual harassment of the player was allowed to continue THE ENTIRE WEEK.

This was okay.  No one present tried to make it stop.  The on hand staff, the technical producers, the teams and CAPCOM, Twitch.tv and IGN representatives did NOTHING to intervene on behalf of the harassed player.  In fact, the only people that had the common decency to speak up were callers who had finally got sick of the display.

Are your eyes brows turned up in surprise?  Are you shocked you didn’t hear about this?  There was hardly any media coverage about.  A few podcasts said something about it.  If you google it (and please, I hope that you do) you’ll find that a handful of smaller media outlets covered it.  There’s no Massively article.  There’s no Escapist article, though there is a small 1 page thread on the forum[4].

“The sexual harassment is part of [the] culture. And if you remove that from the fighting game community, it’s not the fighting game community." – Aris Bakhatanians, Team Coach on day five. [2]

That statement was in response to Jared Rea, community manager of Twitch.tv, asking Bakhatanians to be civil.  On the fifth day of live on air sexual harassment for all the world to see… there was a single call for civility.  A call that was ignored and sexual harassment was allowed to continue.

The young woman harassed was so distraught, on the verge of tears and had lost all desire to play for the grand prize to the point where she simply forfeit.  She worked hard to get a place in this tournament and her own team coach stripped her of her dignity, will to play and any chance she had of enjoying herself. 

Where was the media out cry for her?  Where were few calls for the team coaches removal?  Where was the intervention from the gaming companies running this event to protect their players?  On a gaming podcast that I used to listen to called Cheap Ass Gamer the lead host CheapyD said, “Well if it [the sexual harassment] was funny, it would have been okay."  [3]

Even after the fact there was nothing.  The only response Capcom gave the press was this:

“The views and opinions expressed by cast members in the live internet program 'Cross Assault' do not reflect those of Capcom. As a company, Capcom believes that everyone should be treated with respect. This particular issue was brought to our attention and has been addressed. We sincerely apologize to anyone that was offended by any comments expressed during the show.”

 And that was end of it. 

Then this business at FANFEST2012 happened.  A less than 2 minute drunken quip was made.  The subject of the quip wasn’t bothered by this at all.  Yet, gaming media everywhere seized like piranhas.  There was rage for speaker's dismissal.  CCP intervened because this must not be allowed to happen!  Then they threw the guy who helped them in their greatest time of need under the bus.

That little quip was the line, but a week of live unabated, unabashed, unapologetic sexual harassment… that’s okay.  Why don’t you let that sink in.

The fact of the matter is, the gaming community doesn’t care about bullying.  This isn’t about some poor victim.  This is about people being mad The Mittani got the chairmanship.  No complaints were logged until AFTER he was announced as Chairman, two days after the incident actually occurred.  Other incidents of bullying, bullying that is more severe and destructive, have been documented and not received the same press.   

Give it a few month.  Hell, give it a few weeks.  I doubt anyone howling, press and players included, will be able to remember the victim's name without Googling it.  Are you even able to remember it right now?

1 - http://www.capcom-unity.com/go/crossassault/signup

2 - http://bitmob.com/articles/cross-assault-sexual-harassment-controversy-overshadows-on-screen-combat

3 - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=316527
4 - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.352475-Cross-Assault-More-Like-Sexual-Assault

Other gaming media outlets that covered the incident:

1 - http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/sexual-harassment-as-ethical-imperative-the-ugly-side-of-fighting-game
2 - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2012/02/is-pervasive-sexism-holding-the-professional-fighting-game-community-back.ars
3 - http://kotaku.com/5889415/this-is-what-a-gamers-sexual-harassment-looks-like
4 - http://uk.gamespot.com/features/fighting-girls-strike-back-6367518/
5 - http://www.giantbomb.com/news/aris-aris-bakhtanians-releases-statement-on-recent-comments/4007/

Thank you to "Anon" & Tsubutai for posting the links in the comments.

Dat Shit Cray

When I first listened to this song all I could think was, “What kind of garbage is this?”  Rap lyrics about black dudes in France and fish filets?  Crap. Crap. Crap.  Now I have the same thoughts when I look around at the Eve Online community.  All I can say, “So disappoint, son.”

I’m disappointed for a laundry list of reasons.  However this post isn’t about placing blame, raging, sperging or beating a dead horse.  It’s not about crucifying someone over a mistake.  It’s not to make people feel guilty.  All I want to do is say three things and then I’m done.

1) Let he who has no sin, cast the first stone.

I’m not a religious person by any means, but I have done some extensive religious study.  I think this is one of the coolest lines in the Bible when it comes to putting things into perspective.  None of us are perfect.  We’ve all made mistakes.  None of us have just cause or reason to sit on a high horse.  Period.

2) A person of good fiber will admit when they’ve done wrong.

This has happened.  An apology both public and private has been issued.  The person that was victimized is over it.  That is what matters.  If you are strong enough to own up for your wrong doings, you deserve respect for that. 

3) If you were not directly involved, you need to shut the hell up.

It’s not your business.  I will repeat.  It’s not your business.  You are not Team America World Police.  You are not the Justice League.  Sit down, shut up, mind your business and stop being such a busy-body.  If you have issue with this, please proceed to point #1.  The individual victimized has seen fit to be done with it, so who the hell are you to do other wise?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go play some Skyrim and League of Legends until folks calm down.  I don’t want to see it or hear about it, so I’ll be removing myself from the situation until it blows over.  I just don’t have the patience for it. 

Feel free to contact me if you know of some kick ass Skyrim mods or if you want to play a game of LoL.  My summoner name is PureEden, I’m level 16 and I’m terrible.  I like to play Sona and Soraka (4ever a healer) as well as the occasional Annie, Siver, Ryze or Tristana.  Also, don’t make my play the carry.  I’m terri-bad as a carry.  Smurfs welcome.

Ciao♥

[Happy Monday] Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ships

I'm posting a little later in the day than I normally do, but I think you'll find the post well worth the wait.  I've been working on a little something special for this week's Happy Monday.  It's something I think you'll enjoy.

I've had commercials on the brain for quiet sometime.  They're a strange interest and hobby of mine and have been so for a few years.  I've done a couple of Eve Online commercials, but they've all been audio only.  I think today is the day that I'm going to branch out further into another medium.

I present to you the first of possibly many video commercials made for New Eden.  This particular one features an organization knows as the SPCS. or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ships.  You'll see the commercial is similar to a rather infamous commercial.

Take a look, tell me what you think.  Hopefully with the new graphics card and a little more video editing practice under my belt, this could turn in to something pretty entertaining.

You Never Go Full Retard

I did something very very very dumb. I’m not exaggerating in the least bit either. I have done the unthinkable and have gone…. Full Retard.

If you haven’t heard of the phrase, which is highly unlikely, it comes from the movie Tropic Thunder. The movie is a comedy with a satirical take on action The main characters include a fading action star , a drug addicted comedian, a character actor in perma black face and a rapper that’s constantly pimping out his latest product, Booty Sweat. Hilarious film, but back to the point.

Best Tom Cruise role since forever

Perma black-face guy (Robert Downey Jr.) & B-List action guy (Ben Stiller) have this heart to heart. B-List action guy attempted a dramatic where he portrayed a mental handi capped fellow and failed. Instead of a Rain Man or Forest Gump type persona he went full retard. And you never go full retard. This is a sage piece of advice in many situations and soon became a trope.

So what does any of this have to do with Eve. Well, I’ll tell ya. As I said in my opening, I made a HUGE error. There’s no hiding it as it’s publicly viewable. I’m surprised that no one has called me on it, but that’s good because I get to explain myself first. Also, if you listen to the podcast, this story will most likely be repeated in the fail mail section as part of my penance.

Sunday March 11, 2012
On this day many wonderful things happened including the catalyst for this blog post. While in the middle of editing the podcast, a jabber ping went out. It was Mister Vee and he was calling a drake fleet. There were dudes in dire need of being shot in the face.

As a young goon, I’ve heard many positive things about Mister Vee fleets. The main points are they are usually successful with lots of kills to be had. Add the opportunity to shoot IRC in the face (♥ ya Mak!) and I was there with bells on. Well, I was there in my scimitar at least.

XXDeath was going to loose a CSAA and they bro-phoned some contacts in CFC. The CSAA was a lost cause. We figured that going in, but again, it was a chance to shoot many space dudes so we took it. Upon arriving on the scene there were 2 XXDeath Thannys repping a POS and the scimis were sent to help. A few minutes later this happened.

I can’t begin to give you a battle report because it was that insane. All I remember is locking, repping and unlocking as fast as TiDi, my shitty Duo Core and my fingers would allow. All I can say for sure is the logi contingent was magnificent and all the hype about Mister Vee was spot on. We should have gotten our asses handed to us and we were expecting to die in a glorious blaze of drake and scimi wreckage.

Instead we controlled the field and even got to loot it! I’m sure you’re starting to see where this is going, but I’ll just continue for fun. This is a blog after all. You’re here for my long winding stories about spaceships and other Eve related non-sense.

Mister Vee gives us all of 5 minutes to loot the field with instructions to go after the shiny hulls. Everyone warps in to the remains of the tengu fleet and I do as well. I managed to collect some drones, some T2 ammo and probably enough to fit a drake with a little left over. I was a happy camper along with the rest of the fleet and we headed home with our spoils of battle!

Tuesday March 13th, 2012
Another jabber ping goes out. This time from DaBigRedBoat or DBRB. I’ve flown in DBRB fleets before. The fleets are interesting to say the least and I usually know what to expect. This fleet was no different than any other and it’s a drake fleet. Awesome! I have just the ship for this fleet and I had such success with it that I should use it on this op too!

It was NC. and company again looking to come shoot some Goons. Apparently they had been dicking around in Branch and turned to float up in to Venal. As customary with hot pursuit, we followed with intent to engage. We sat on the HD-JVQ gate and the moment we jumped would be the moment shit hit the fan.

Since we knew we would be engaging the moment we jumped, we pretty much knew what to do. Most of the Goon Fleet doctrines have specific operating instructions and very rarely will FCs deviate from the path. That said, we jump in, uncloak, turn our hardners on and the scimi’s start to orbit our anchor. Then we hear “Everyone align to the MT gate. Now! Now! Now!”

Well, the imaginable happens and we align towards the MT gate… which happens to be in the direct path of the long range sniper armor hac fleet that’s waiting to tear us to bits.

“SCIMITAR ANCOR! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?”

Umm… what you told us to do. Now I had a close call this time. They locked me and started to get my shields down, but I was cognizant and turned back to run my ass to the gate out of range while the scimi’s repped me and kept me alive. (Thanks guys!) So we’re back to doing our thing. And then we hear…. “Align! Align! Align! Everyone needs to align to the MT gate!.”

Okay, so we must be warping out now. Align… oh… no… wait... I’m in a pod now.

My face when I heard, "SCIMITARS, WHY ARE YOU DYING?"

That’s how I lost the ship. Totally lame loss. That was pretty much the sentiment in the logi channel. Even the ones that didn’t die were dumb founded and a little irked. However, things didn’t go all THAT badly. While we did loose four scimitars, the last remaining managed to hold things together and in the end the fleet took down 22 Muninns. Here’s the battle report of that fight if you’re interested.

It was a really close fight and from what I heard pretty fun. We had titan bridged in so I didn’t go back out. I would have died on the way back out there. Instead I opted to spend the rest of the night catching up on the first season of Game of Thrones. Side note: Pandemic Legion are totally the Lannisters of Eve Online.

Really I should have known better. There’s a saying in Goons to wait 10 seconds after DBRB gives a instruction. He’s not an FC that’s known for his clarity of command. In fact, he’s the antithesis of clarity in command. Many a goon had died to his fickle fleet commands and now I have been christened. I guess I’m a real Goon now. Probably not.

Now, what does all of that have to do with this little gem? Well, brace yourselves.

Confession
Now here’s the part where I make my confession. I keep two or three scimi’s on hand at all times just in case. In case of what? Well, in case a fleet gets called. In case I get blown up and I need to reship quick and get back. There’s lots of in cases. Plus, I keep both afterburner fit and microwarp drive fit since both are in regular rotation.

Now… NORMALLY… before I undock I do a little “systems” check. I make sure I have the right scimi for the fleet; either AB or MWD fit. Next I check my clone and my insurance to make sure everything is up to date. Then I check drone bay to make sure I have light armor repair II’s, warror II’s and hornet EC-300. Finally I check my cargo bay to make sure that I have some nanite repair paste for those moments I need to overheat.

Let’s guess which one of these I forgot to fucking do. Can ya guess? I’ll give you three tries and the first two don’t count. Just to add a little icing on to the cake, I didn’t realize I made a trip out in my little loot piñata until Thursday night 2 days after all this went down. Cause yea, I’m totally not an air head. Apparently I didn’t want all those free mods N-E-WAY.

So, there you have it. It boils down to complacency which is something I warn against in a different blot post. If The Devil Suleimann Shouaa was there he would have said, “You are a remarkable bad.” Why is it so fucking hard to take my own advice?

Yet Another Scheme

Back in February I did a Happy Monday blog post featuring a group effort advertisement for CreoDron, an Eve Online NPC corporation. The ad features the voices of 14 capsuleers. It was a bold project with quiet a few difficulties. While I’m not completely satisfied with the end result, it’s a good start.

There are quiet a few things I would do differently. One is managing sound quality. 14 different people, mean 14 different mics and 14 variations of sound quality. This is also known as a nightmare. I tried to scrub the audio, but some of it just didn’t come out as crisp as the rest and I hadn’t considered adding noise to the background of the others to make them balance.


I have some tricks, tips and other devilish little plans up my sleeve, but... that’s later on down the line. Like any project, there’s a process that needs to be followed. Right now I’m in the concept phase. I have a few ideas that I’ve been kicking around on my own, but there’s more than just my ideas in the Eve Universe. Now I can’t promise you’ll be a star or anything like that, but I will give ya credit! That counts right?

So I come to you my homies and readers. What NPC corp do you think needs a little audio lovin’? What kind of mood should the commercial have? Should I try something totally different instead? Comment me Bro!

Get it. Come at me... Comment me.... you have to say it fast. Trust me. It’s funny. Now comment.

[Happy Monday] The Right Vision

“And the kid is still lookin’ good!” The proclamation came from the steel stair railing that looked down to the ship hanger bay. There stood a young Matari man. His head was clean shaven. It shone from the glare of the bright lights that hung at dizzying heights above. He was tall with a wiry build. Thick cargo pants and flight jacket covered tee shirt hung loose on his frame.

“You know, Kuvakei could take some lessons from me because I make these implants look goooood.” His smile grew larger as he boasted. The last word drawn out for emphasis as he descended the stairs towards the two that stood at the engineering podium. His arms were out stretched and a cocky grin hung on his lips as he invited his audience to view him.

Avery Louis had changed dramatically over the course of the week. A brush with death could do that to a man; at least a mortal man. A few months ago he had taken the position of Engineer aboard “Boo.” Before it’s destruction it was a Hound, a Tech 2 Minmatar Stealth Bomber. On its last mission it was deployed to engage in a set of classified covert “hot drops” which ended in Ary & Avery Louis both in their pods. For the pod pilot it was just another op. For baseliner, it was very different. He cheated death.

Ary looked up from the spinning hologram of the new ship projected from the console. Cool dark eyes watched him descend. A hint of a smile lingered on her lips. An unimpressed snort came from the white coated fitting specialist who hadn’t bothered to turn around. His attention was focused on the spike of the power grid readings as the covert ops cloaking device was brought on-line.

“So, what do you think? Not bad for my first real battle scar, right?” Avery Louis lifted his head to show off now milky white eye and the scar that ran though it.

“And you got a new war tattoo.” Ary mused.

Her hand reached up to his dark skin as he approached her. Her thumb brushed under the fresh black ink that outlined the marred eye and traced off towards his upper ear. Pride blossomed on her face and softened her features. As emotion bubbling over the crack of flesh up on flesh broke into the air.

“Ow!” Avery Louis winced and cried out from strike. Ary’s hand had reached up to slap him across the back of his head. While unexpected, it was a sign of affection more than anything else. His head was brought toward her shoulder as she embraced him and give him a quick kiss to the cheek.

“I’m proud of you Little Nephew.” The tender piece of praise was quietly spoken into his ear. They were Matari after all.

“I wish you’d stop calling me that.” Avery Louis chide with an embarrassed laugh. “There’s hardly anything little about me and age shouldn’t count if you’re an immortal.”

His chest would puff up slightly as his Matari bravado began to show. He was right, there was nothing little about him. This was not the little boy that she swaddled and burped or the child she watched climb trees or run though the fields planet side. No, he was a man. Tattooed and scarred he was now a Matari man which meant even more.

“All in the eye of the beholder, but don’t forget…” Her tone dropped as humor mixed with sincerity. “… I’m still your boss.”

“Aye aye, Captian.” His tone was just as mocking as the half-assed salute he gave her. The two chuckled, but not everyone was as amused.

The white coated fitting specialist watched the two behind his thing framed spectacles. His face was long, angular and just as severe as his personality. Uninterested in the small reunion, he cleared his throat abruptly. His question asked before he bothered to see if the two were even paying attention.

“Have you made a decision on the lows? All other modules have been fit with the exception of the final low slot.” Subtle hints of agitation hung in the Amarrian’s tone.

“Two ballistics and a nano. It’s the same fitting we get every time…” Avery Louis’ shot his response back quickly and aggressively. He was never good with those he felt has ‘over stepped their bounds.’

“Well… after the last time I was thinking of maybe… beefing up the armor a bit. Just so…” Ary didn’t get the chance full explain before the engineer plunged in to a heated rebuttal.

“After one little hull loss from a frankly shitty bomb run now you want to add armor? No. That’s just… it… It doesn’t make any sense. We need that agility.” His voice echoed off the metal that surrounded them as he grew louder in his agitation.

Ary on the other hand remained cool and quiet. Her voice would drop from his normal tone to almost a whisper as she watched his anger roil. “It’s not because of one bombing run. It’s because of all the future bombing runs. As Captain and Capsuleer I have…”

“Don’t start with that bullshit!” The words were growled from clinched teeth. He turned away from her. His hand came to his face and his thumb rubbed the bridge of his nose in an effort to calm his self. His paced to refrain from loosing his temper, but his anger was already clear on his features from the flare of his nostrils to the wild dilation of his good eye. He would turn back to Ary sharply once his thoughts were collected.

“Your responsibility is to shoot down those mother fuckers before they shoot us down.” His finger was pushed in to her shoulder and then out to some distant unknown enemy. “That. That is your responsibility. My responsibility is that hull and its function and I’ll be damned I let you fuck it up with some bullshit fit.”

“That fit is not bullshit. The hull is paper thin as it is and all you’re doing it is stripping the structure for a minor bonus to inertia and velocity. We were over half way into armor with no option to repair. If we had that extra armor…”

“If we had extra armor then what? I’d still have my eye? Is that what this is about? An eye that’s been replaced with an implant worth millions of ISK and the honor of adding to my war tattoos? Are you really that fucking selfish?”

It was hard to see, but the faint flush of red was starting to build against the warm bronze of Ary’s skin. Her jaws clinched and her eyes narrowed as she and Avery Louis went toe-to-toe. While the two displayed their annoyance very differently; it was clear that both felt the other was treading on thin ice. The fitting specialist was smart to keep out of the way and out of the view of the two Matari.

“It seems you’ve forgotten little nephew.” Her voice remained calm, but her words were razor sharp. “These are MY ships. These are MY fittings. You are MY engineer. I am the immortal one that has shrugged off the ash of countless explosions. You have narrowly survived one and are you are the end all and be all of fittings?”

The thick jacket she wore was shrugged off and thrown to the floor. Her skin exposed, but even with only a sport bra to cover her, one could hardly say her flesh was bare. Avery Louis stepped towards her once more, but stopped. His mouth left hung open as his words caught in his throat.

They covered her in sprawling clusters, the war tattoos. Intricate and mesmerizing designs ran up and down her arms, over her collar bone and over the tops of her breasts. They even circled to her back and met between her shoulder blades trailing down her spine. The black and blood red of the ink sang tales of glory, loss and sacrifice. Each mark and stroke made with its own significance.

A heavy silence hung in the room as the two stood face to face. Ary and Avery Louis’s eyes were locked, but neither spoke or moved for a time. Slowly, in the midst of calm reflection, their anger gave way to mutual sense. A long sigh came from Avery Louis and his large hand ran over his bald head while Ary inhaled deeply as she stooped down to pick up the discarded jacket and slide it back over her shoulders.

“If you love me.” He finally spoke in a defeated tone. “You won’t do me this disservice. And I know you love me Auntie.”

He back away without another word and turned to make his way back up the stairs. Once Avery Louis disappeared from view, a faint clearing of a throat caught her attention. She turned and suddenly remembered the fitting specialist had been there the whole time.

“If I may…?” That high and mighty tone the Ammarians were known for ringing clear.

“No you may not.” Ary quipped back. “Just fit the damn nanofiber internal structure and get it insured.”

CSM 7 Plugs and What Not

It is Council of Stellar Management [CSM] time. A time of Internet spaceship politicians, platforms and lots of solid discussion about game theory, game design and the future of this game we luv so much. Every year the awareness of the CSM increases and this year the increase is exponential. More votes were cast on the first day of the CSM7 election than were cast during the entire voting first for the first CSM. Even more amazing, the first 24 hours of voting amassed more votes than “Super Tuesday Primaries” of the United Stated Presidential election. (link)

So what is the CSM? Why are they so important? Why should anyone care?

The EVElopedia has this to say about CSM:
The Council of Stellar Management (CSM) is a player-elected council to represent the views of the players to CCP.

In the VandV CSM7 Heavy Weight show, Trebor Daehdoow (CSM5 & 6 delegate and 7 candidate) called the CSM a “player elected advocacy group.” Both are generally the same thing, but I think Trebor’s description is more accurate. The CSM should be the voice of the players, but they should advocating things they are good for the game. While their “constituents” may want buffs to nanos or more power in their doomsday device;; the CSM should be working for the over all good of EVE Online. At least that’s what I want them to do.

I beleive that all candidates should have certain qualities regardless of their current play style. They should have a fair amount of game experience and under game nuance and mechanics. They should have the ability to view the game in broad scope and terms. They should have the ability to clearly articulate and interact well with others. These are what I feel the base qualities of CSM6 were. It worked well for them and if it’s not broke; don’t fix it.

Many bloggers are weighting in with their CSM thoughts and endorsement and some are even doing a little finger wagging. If you’re one of my readers and are unsure of who to vote for; I do have several suggestions if your interested. If you’re one of my readers, have voted and just enjoy reading what I wright, then you’re just awesome and I invite you to read on for the sheer pleasure and fun!

Glowing Endorsements
Blake Armitage: Multifaceted Indy
Blake is the consummate industrialist in and out of the game. Not only is he plugged in to indy’s in game, but he’s also entrenched in the 3rd party developer community. He also dabbles in worm holes and null sec life. This is his first time running, but I think he has great “new blood” potential.

Mike Azariah: The People’s Candidate
Mike is all about the people. The way he talks it seems like he’s a blank canvas waiting for the community’s voice to splash color over him so he can display that to CCP. He’s also a big advocate of communication which seemed a little lacking for CSM6. This will be his 3rd attempt at obtaining a place on the CSM and I hope the 3rd time is a charm.

Hans Jagerblitzen: Political Playboy
I don’t mean the playboy in the girlie magazine Hugh Heffner kind of way. However, this man is a charmer. His charisma is off the charts and he knows his stuff when it comes to spaceships too. When it comes to faction warfare and low sec, he’s the full package. I don’t think anyone has campaigned as hard as this man and I’m positive he’ll land somewhere in the 14.

Trebor Daehdoow: The Energizer Advocate
If you’re looking for a candidate that will work tirelessly to make this game better. If you’re looking for a candidate that puts in over 9000% to everything they do. If you’re looking for a candidate that is committed to making this game everything that is good and wholesome (in relation to eve); then Trebor is your dude. Hands down.

Two Step: The Little Alt That Could
The definition of “Taking Initiative” should have a picture of this guy beside it. Two Step was voted in to the alternate list, but he stepped up to his role in the CSM like a full delegate. He helped bring us meeting notes for meetings he didn’t attend. He spoke up and stepped up when it was needed. If he put this much effort in to being an Alt, imagine what he can do if he gets in to the top seven.

Now you may or may not be asking; who did you vote for Dani? I can tell you I didn’t vote for any of these dude. If I had that many accounts I would have. Alas, I only have two. So who did my votes go to? Well I’ll tell ya.

My Two Cents Votes
Seleene: The Full Package
The title says it all. He was once a developer for CCP. He can fly all levels of ships for pvp. He runs a corporation in Pandemic Legion and has an on-the-side industrial corp. He knows this game. I think his voice on the CSM is a wonderful asset that will only improve whatever efforts the CSM push for. Seleene for CSM7.

Alekseyev Karrde: Man With A Plan
Aleks is another one stop shop when it comes to what to look for in a candidate. He was an active member of CSM4 and was part of the group that obtain stakeholder status for CSM. He’s the CEO of Noir. Mercenary Group and has seem most every pvp situation there is. His employers are from every sector of space, meaning his operated in ever sector of space & knows the hardships of combat & industrial life. As he says, he’s able to speak intelligently about various mechanics and see things from many sides.

So there it is. My weight-in and view of this years election. The most important thing is that you get out there and go vote. So go. Go vote! NOW! Scoot!

Ciao
Dani♥

PS - And yes. Everyone that I endorsed did appear on VandV.  How else am I supposed to get to know and silent judge the candidates?

[I ain't givin' you no tree-fitty] Reductio Ad Absurdum

If you’ve taken a Critical Thinking class or been on a debate team, you’ve probably heard of this term and know it quite well. If you’ve have any kind of prolonged exposure to human society, then you’re 99% likely to have come in to contact with this argument. Reductio Ad Absubdum is Latin for: Reduction to the absurd. It’s an argument taken to base composition where the subject of the argument is proven false due to ridiculous nature of the proposed consequence.

For example:

If Goons is a good alliance, then I’m the most elite solo pvper ever.
Or
High sec is so safe, I can just haul my billions of ISK worth of [crap] in a frigate.

In both of these arguments the consequences stated are abused because their obvious falsehood. Presumably we all know this. In the instance of the first example; my only solo kill is from an auto piloting rifter. I’ll be the first to say that’s hardly elite solo by any means. However, we come to the second argument, there is a problem and a big one.

There are an alarming number of pilots that take this false argument as a truth. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at a few kill mails shall we?

○ Case #1 
○ Case #2 
○ Case #3

 
Now let’s discuss just why “High sec is so safe, I can just haul my billions of ISK worth of [crap] in a frigate" is so absurd.

There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Safe Sec (TANSTAASS)
When I was in high school I opted out of human health and took economics instead. In that wonderful class I learned about classic GTOs and economics. One of the concepts taught in the class was TANSTAAFL or There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch which is a lesson in opportunity cost and how there is a “cost” for everything.

The same concept can be applied to all space in New Eden. There is no such thing as Safe Space. Ever. No. Shush. There are elements of danger an any space in any security. There’s a saying amount EVE Online pilots. Logging in to the game is consenting to PvP. They aren’t bullshitting.

In high sec, there are people with ship scanners at gates scanning everything they can looking for a juicy target. There are gankers that don’t mind loosing their Tornado or [insert flavor of the patch here] for the chance of candy to spill out from an unsuspecting loot piñata. IT’S NOT PARANOIA IF THEY’RE REALLY OUT TO GET YOU! And make no mistake. They are out to get you… or at least what’s in your cargo bay and a pretty sweet kill mail on top of that.

The 6 P’s
Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Makes sense right? You didn’t spend all that time mining/missioning/plexing/ratting/market trading/etc to not want those several millions/billions worth of assets. You earned that shit. You want to take your shit and do whatever it was that you were planning to do with it. That’s why you got all that crap in the first place. You have plans for it. So why not protect your assets, your time and your sanity?

Use the right ship and movement methods. It really couldn’t be simpler, but we as pilots often become complacent in our habits. Once you get settled in to your Eve-Groove; you become complacent. I’m not saying you need to be on the edge of your chair and digging your nails in to your desk ever time you log in, but complacency is a bad thing. Eve Online is one of those games where constant situational awareness is necessary for survival. This is a sandbox and the name painted on the side is “Darwin.”

If you know you have to make a high value delivery then just be aware. Who hangs out in the pipe you use? Are any of them known gankers? Do you have the right ship for the job? If you don’t have the right ship is there someone who does that you can trust? Does your corporation or alliance have any war decs? You may be laughing by now, but those kill mails happen for a reason. The over all reason is usually because someone had a case of “The Dumb”, but asking yourself the simplest of question can save you a lot of heartache in the long run. It’s that simple and you have lots of options! Let us take a look at them for a moment shall we?

Choices, Choices, Choices
Orcas are fantastic for moving high value merchandise. They are capital class Industrial ships and boast a number of uses. You can tank them to high hell and the contents of the corporate hanger can not be scanned. As an added bonus; if the ship gets destroyed so do the contents of the hold.

There are also freighters and jump freighters. Freighters and jump freighters can be used in any space, but jump freighters can use cynos. The use of a cyno is a huge bonus if you’re living in low or null sec. I should also note that freighters do not have fitting slots. Their base stats are all you get. They do make up for it in cargo space.

A good mid range option for transporting goods is an advanced industrial ship. These Tech 2 ships come in two flavors; Transport and Blockade Runners. Blockade Runners have frigate like agility and a bonus to warp strength and a boost to an EHP modifier. Transport ships have the benefit of being able to fix a covert ops cloak which is valuable in any situation.

If you don’t have the skills for these there are other options. You could use a tanked T2 covert ops ship with cargo containers. It’s not the best circumstances for moving high value merchandise, but it’s better than nothing. If you have some extra ISK on hand, try a verified service like Red Frog/Black Freight. Red Frog Freight will deliver your goods anywhere in high sec for a modest fee. Black Frog Freight is their null/low sec counter part.

So please people. Spread the word and tell your friends. Stop being ridiculous.

[Happy Monday] Choices

“So who’s it going to be?” The question came abruptly. His tenor easily reached across the room. The man asking approached the table with a half cocked swagger. Mitchell was notorious for walking around like he owned the place, only this time he did as they were in his quarters.

Captian’s Quarter’s. What a joke. They were more like hovels with a couch, a few expensive screens and a cot. Even with their limited amenities and janitor's closet similarities; the rooms went for ISK and that alone made them luxury items. If the rooms were a joke their status was certainly the punchline.

He used his boot to kick out the chair across from her. A satisfied sign came as he dropped in to the seat. One of the cans he was carrying was pushed towards her while he own was cracked open while he spoke. “You have to make a decision sooner or later, plus... it’s not like there’s really that much of a selection to choose from.”

Ary said nothing for the moment. She choose to bide her time by giving entirely too much attention to the metallic can. Her thumb gingerly brushed over the surface sliding away the thin film of precipitation. The tips of her index and middle fingers curled around the tab to slowly crack open the can of Quafe and taking a long drink.

The answer would eventually come in the form of a faint shrug of her shoulders. Her eyes drifted off towards the large screens on the far wall as a bounty advertisement came up. A silent hope made that he didn’t press the issue. “I wonder if they’re going to take a look at the bounty system this cycle. Most of them are just... badges of honor.”

“Oh fuck that. You’re gonna fucking tell me.” He took the half empty and crumpled cigarette pack from his pocket and pulled one out before tossing the pack to the table and lighting it. A hard exhale sent a burst of smoke in the air. “What? It’s only the Council of Stellar Management. They’re just a handful of high-profile capsuleers that attempt to give Concord useful advice about ship spec regulations and policy which they don’t usually listen to. Not that they have to listen. All it really amounts to is a special tag on GalNet. Not like I asked you to name your past life in a bowl of leaves or whatever weird shit your people do.”

“You’re an ass and that’s not and accurate assessment. What about this summer with the NeX Store and the new currency. A good portion of New Eden was in arms. Another portion just... couldn’t take it anymore. It’s like the cluster fell in to depression.” Her voice drifted off. A few seconds of silence passed as scenes of Jita, dissidence, rage & chaos flickered through her mind.

“They helped fix it. Got Concord on the right path. Again. Or finally. Never really sure which one. They were able to get some of the blaster and railgun restrictions removed. They pushed the permits to allow some of the shipyards to release new hulls... I’m not saying that it was all them, but they helped. They were able to collect the last bit of momentum that was needed for Concord to see the light. Just like the past ones have helped or tried to help in different ways.”

“Well, all eyes on Concord right now. These war declaration sanctions and proposed changes to the factional warfare agreements are a big deal.” Another lengthy drag was taken from the cigarette. His finger tapping absently against the lid of the can. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

“I know, but haven’t decided yea. It’s just that..”

“No. Fuck that. There’s only a handful of viable candidates.” He cut her off before she could finish. The call to a bluff she hadn’t made yet. “The bloc candidates and then the real contenders. Yea, there’s 40 something of them running, but you already know which ones are most likely going to get in to the top 14. Plus you’re not going to waste your vote on a long shot. Plus... shouldn’t your vote already be spoken for anyway.”

She rolled her eyes as he rattled on. Another long drink of Quafe taken. The corners of her mouth turned down as a sudden bitter hit. The can turned to check the expiration date. They were out in low sec. Mitchell had moved to a little Caldari system that had a nice high sec entry and a fair amount of traffic flow. Still, there was no telling when his last supply run in to Jita was.

“Are you done?” Her tone flat and her expression unamused.

“Yes.” He tried to mock her expression. The dramatics were rewarded with a quick snort of stifled laughter and roll of her eyes.

“You’re right on all of those counts. Which is why I haven’t decided. Do I vote with my brethren and call it a day or do I give that vote to someone who needs it? Who would make the best use of it? And you’re right. The war declaration sanctions and the faction warfare stuff is a big deal. It needs to go well and I think it’s important that Concord has the right people in their eyes. There’s a few more candidates I need to research, but I have a bit more time.”

“Plus you’ve never been known for doing what you’re told.” He leaned back and gave her a long glance. “Just sayin’.”

The "Save Marc Movement"

Since Marc Scaurus and Bowdy have joined the show, we’ve started a bit of a running joke. The joke is; eventually someone of importance in The Tuskers is going to listen to the podcast and Marc will be kicked out. The reason his corp would kick him out is because Voices is an explicit show and The Tuskers have strict “family values” policies. Also, The Devil Suleiman Shouaa inevitably comes up in conversation every episode.

Well, the jigs up. When I open up the admin panel for the podcast, it gives me different site data. One module shows me popular link referrers and at the top of the list was the-tuskers.info. Ut-oh. I did message Marc asking him how often he checked the forums, but I went to sleep before he could answer.

He did eventually answer. The next morning there was a message from Marc confirming there was a Voices thread on The Tuskers forums. This could only end well right? Well, I don’t really know as the saga currently continues. As of the moment, Marc and I are working out a deal for The Devil Suleiman Shouaa to guest on Voices in exchange of amnesty for Marc.

In further efforts of groveling on behalf of my co-host, I have put my moderate Adobe Photoshop skills to work. I present to you the “WWTDSSD” Wallpaper.

Not Bad Right?  Full Size Here.

Why the theme “What Would The Devil Suleiman Shouaa Do?” Well, Suleimann gets himself in some interesting predicaments when it comes to Internet spaceships. In most of those situations he’s able to overcome the odds or at least get a good story out of it. If you’re interested in more tales of The Devil Suleimann Shouaa you should go check out his blog.  He's also discovered twitter so be sure to follow him @SuleimannShouaa.

The whole thing could also be an elaborate troll. We’re not sure, but I will keep you posted.

Ciao
Dani♥