Bloggin' My Candidate

First off, apologies to all 5 of you who read this blog regularly for its devolution into a political screed marked by occasionally on-topic posts. Most of my "work" blogging time has been going to Crafty Games Blog or into actual manuscript work.

But I did find some new intereting numbers over on MSNBC:

"USA Today writes up the new USA Today/Gallup poll: “Clinton is backed by 45% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, up 6 percentage points from a poll taken two weeks earlier that showed her standing eroding… Obama is at 27%, up 3 points, and former North Carolina senator John Edwards is third at 15%.”

“In hypothetical matchups for the general presidential election, Clinton and Obama each led Giuliani, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Romney, although at times narrowly. Obama was somewhat stronger, besting Giuliani by 6 points, Huckabee by 11 and Romney by 18. Clinton had an edge of 1 point over Giuliani, 9 points over Huckabee and 6 points over Romney."

I like the sound of that...

Meanwhile, the Hillary attack machine just keeps on mutating its strategies, including using resident Senate eccentric Bob Kerrey to use some tactical conversational terrorism by re-raising the spectre of "Obama the Muslim." Jesus Christ, you assholes...give it up. This does nothing but polarize the base even more...but then, drawing people into camps is Hillary's number one skill.

Lastly, I like this analysis from Howard Fineman painting Obama as something other than a pussy. I think the man's a gentleman, but I also think he's got the fire necessary to throw down and get things done and win what he wants. That's good.

Finally, there's an excellent article by David Brooks regarding Obama's advantages as a president vs. a senator. The lack of damage and weaknesses he has not already fessed up to - in addition to a lack of political baggage - might make make him nimble in the Big Show.

But enough preaching. You guys had better be coming over to Crafty Games for free stuff and previews throughout the rest of the week, and culminating on Christmas Eve! The Spycraft 2.0 PDF will be going on sale for the first time - $19.95 - for tomorrow, December 21, only, so get out and pick it up if you haven't already! And e on the lookout for World on Fire and Spycraft 2.0 in local stores - the books are confirmed out and available the world over now.

Merry Christmas, you marvelous bastards - it's good knowing you.

Xbox 360 Repairs - a Tragedy in 12 Parts

As some of you may be aware, I do most of my video gaming on an Xbox 360. I really enjoy the thing - good games, nice graphics, not a computer. Good overall. But a month ago, I was struck by the dreaded Delamination of Yon Graphics Card Wiring, Demanding Repair Forthwith. So I filed for repairs on my 360 right after Labor Day (and after I completed Bioshock). I filed online, so I had to register the console using the S/N from the back of the unit. When I registered the unit, there were no problems - tied to my Live ID, and we're good. M$ sent me my box and I fired it off straight away. I get a few notes preceeding the sending of the unit including the S/N. So far so good.

On 9/17 I get a "received by Xbox Service Center" email, with no S/N attached. Huh (WTF moment #1). On 9/24, I'm getting antsy for Halo 3 so I go to the service site to check up, just like the email tells me to do. Log in, and it tells me I don't have a device registered with M$ (WTF moment #2). I try adding the S/N to my Live ID again, just as I had done when I put in for the repairs, and I get an error that I need to call Xbox customer support.

So I call support. Maxx (double X's for DOUBLE EXTREMENESS) the automated "call center specialist" puts me through to the only people who seem to be able to help me, accounts and customer service. I talk with a nice lady there, who takes my personal information twice (WTF moment #3) to confirm my ID, then tells me she can't help me and that I'm supposed to talk to repairs and hardware, which of course is not a listed option (WTF moment #4). So I'm sent overseas to an Indian call center where a guy feigning an American identity (WTF moment #5) handles my call. I give him all my information 3 more times (WTF moment #7) then we start down the next 80 minutes of my life (WTF moment #8).

I explain the situation - I just want to know when I should receive my Xbox back from the center; if it's an error with the site, I just want to get things corrected. After giving him my case ID and serial number again (WTF moment #10), he tells me he's going to put me on hold for 3 minutes - then again for 3 minutes, which stretches to 10, then another 10 minutes, which stretches to 15 (WTF moment #11). He comes back and tells me that my console was received on 9/24. I tell him the information I have in the confirmation email says it was received on 9/17 and there's no way I should receive that email if the Xbox hadn't even arrived yet (WTF moment #12). He "clarifies" to tell me it was sent on 9/21 and arrived 9/24, to which I say, no, it was sent on 9/6 and received on 9/17 (WTF moment #13). I am then put on hold another 10 minutes (WTF moment #14).

After he returns to the phone, he takes my information yet again (WTF moment #15), during which time I have to explain that Alex is actually short for Alexander (WTF moment #16) then tells me my console has been delivered and signed for (WTF moment #17). The name, of course, does not match the information I gave him. Who signed for it, I ask? He says a name that sounds like "Felix Dahore." OK, I ask, what address was it delivered to - thinking foolishly that this was simply a case of mail fraud here in town. He tells me the address is in **Mexico** (WTF moment #18).

Stunned, I ask him what Microsoft is going to do about it. He tells me I need to file a police report ((WTF moment #19). Why?, I ask - if its in Mexico local cops can't do crap about it. Maybe you want that I report Microsoft for stealing from me instead (WTF moment #20)? He is obviously and painfully confused by my thinly veiled threat. He then leaves me on hold another 10 minutes (WTF moment #21), and comes back to tell me that he's done what he can, that my case is in "expidited status" and that I need to call back in 2 days (WTF moment #22). I tell him I need someone to contact *me* back, at which point he leaves me on hold another 5 minutes (WTF moment #23), asks for my personal information again (WTF moment #24), then tells me the call center has no availabilty to call me back (WTF moment #25). At this point, he seems to think he's done (WTF moment #26), but I'm not letting him off the hook this easy.

So what about my registration number, I ask, you know, the original reason I called (WTF moment #27)? He puts me on hold 3 more minutes (WTF moment #28), then tells me that that S/N is not tied to my Live account. No shit, sherlock (WTF moment #29). I ask what the hell happend to my registration then? He tells me I never registered a device (WTF moment #30). I then proceed to explain to him how both the Xbox service process (WTF moment #31) and databases (WTF moment #32) work - that I cannot register for repairs without an S/N, and that if the S/N was registered elsewhere, I should have gotten an error. He tells me, that in fact, that S/N IS registered, but it's with a guy who has 2 consoles (WTF moment #32). I ask him if there's a possibility that guy actually got MY registration, and lay out the timeline again of the issue - that the S/N was MINE until the last email, so the chances of it being his are only really feasible if it's a case of internal
fraud or a database error. I ask him out of pure desperation if the registrant is also the recipient of my device. He says no - so, either way, they STILL sent it to the wrong place (WTF moment #33).

After taking my information yet again (WTF moment #34), he tells me I should double check the S/N I used. Excuse me, but...HOW in the HELL is that supposed to happen when you sent my console to MEXICO?!? (WTF moment #35). He tells me to find my receipt, and take it to the retailer I purchased from, and have them pull the S/N from there (WTF moment #36). Of course, this still doesn't correct the larger issue of the device I DID register not appearing on my account, but who's counting at this point? I posit that maybe they changed the S/N if they sent me an entirely new console? Of course, he had no idea if that would be a possibility (WTF moment #37).

Finally, we get back to the situation of what M$ needs to do to rectify my situation, which is very simple - send me a new Xbox, write the old one off as a loss, apologize for the mix up. He tells me there's a chance the Xbox is moving THROUGH Mexico to my home (WTF moment #38) because the database the agents use does not get the same data that flows through the website (WTF moment #39), so the best thing i can do is call back in a few days to check (WTF moment #40) and watch my email. Exasperated, I agree.

You won this round, Microsoft. I swear to god, though, if I end up getting my console beat to shit by USPS, shipped back and forth across the border, or worst of all, broken...I will personally drive to Renton, find the head of Xbox customer service, tear off his head, take a huge steaming crap down his neck stump, and piss on the corpse. It's only 3 hours away, and I can probably make it before the crime would count as premeditated.

Pray for me - and for all of Microsoft - on Wednesday.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone

Spotted by the wife - a young Britney Spears turned suicide bomber, and Mickey Mouse tortured to death by Jews? Only on Hamas kids' TV. I hope you're paying attention, world, cause THIS is what our handling of the Middle East has created. This is the face of the failure of American diplomacy and U.N. ineptitude.

Something must be done. Day after day, I'm beginning to think looking to my nation's government is exactly the wrong solution.

Our Country's Out of Its Mind. The Solution?

Blow it up.

That this is from one of those fucktard "Patriots" (note capital "P" here...it's very important to distinguish those terrorists who fought against the British from the rednecks that fight against common sense) kills me with its irony. That it is acceptable is stunning in its apathy.

AaaaaARRHGH!!!!

Goddammit. Look, Mr. Bush, I understand that you've already fucked up Iraq but good, and that you're spoiling for a fight with Iran (doing a bang-up job there, provoking them, I might add). But for GOD'S sake quit pissing off Russia! Getting us involved in a new Vietnam is one thing, but restarting the Cold War to screw over the next (likely-Democratic) president is unconcionable. Note that the old SALT stuff will be renewed in 2009...I know you that gives you plenty of time to screw it up then get out, but we'll find you if you do. Oh yes.

Oh, Were I Brave Enough to Send this Email.

Quite a way to quit. Better file that one away for a future last day of work.

The winds of change are a-blowin'...
But some blow harder than others. It appears that WotC has changed the System Trademark License (the agreement that lets you use the d20 logo on your book) and the d20 System Guide to allow them right of refusal on which products it appears on, retroactively (though that's still under debate). I'm not sure what impact this may have on the d20 industry; at first, using the d20 logo is a boon for new publisher, especially when d20 was in its infancy, but considering the proliferation of the system in the market and the regression from the spirit and base upon the STL was founded (see the gamingreport.com comment by Ryan Dancey), there are plenty of reasons for publishers to start ignoring the STL and just run off of the OGL now. Mutants and Masterminds and Everquest have not been hurt by the fact they are not using the STL - in fact, they are amongst the most successful d20 games right now, IIRC.

I can see why WotC might be intimidated by the fact that their brand (and the STL does require you to put their name on the cover and use their copyrighted logo) maybe associated with books like The Book of Erotic Fantasy and Naughty and Dice (even though they DID print the Book of Vile Darkness, which I feel is resounding 'proof' for all the conservative religious types who feel gaming is depraved and Satanic). If they want to change the STL, it's their property and they can - and there's always been a clause in the STL that said they could review and bust you for violating procedure using the OGL or their logo - but I agree with Mr. Dancey that the retroactive clause is counterproductive, demoralizing for the industry, and an unwise use of WotC's resources (which seem to be growing more and more limited). Personally, I hope this is a CYA by WotC for people that are out in left field, and will not be an aggressive campaign of censorship or attacks against publishers that WotC sees as a threat to the success of their own product (of which Spycraft may indeed be one). If that's the case, I don't imagine Projects X and Y will be carrying the d20 logo on their covers - but even if that's the case, I think they could do just fine.

Care to educate me on the nuances of the issue (Will, I know you're dying to here :) ), please comment below. I love a good discussion.