I'm back, bitches!

Random IdHOP News Update for 2/2/02


Hi.  Yumiko, your friendly neighborhood ninja, here again, and here's
why:  I was talking to Ky the other day and mentioned that he really
hasn't written much in the way of news updates for the past three
months, and he's like "yeah, I just don't feel like writing right now,"
and I'm like "dude," and he's like "and there's nothing to write about
anyway," and I'm like "dude," and he's like "dude," and I'm like
"Dude..." and he's like "Dude!" and then we got on with our lives.  And
basically I'm writing to the list today whether Ky likes it or not.

But before I start with the news I just wanna point out how wretched and
filthy Yahoo!groups is.  I had this all written out and ready to go

The Australian Open -- that's news, right?  Something to write about?
I think so.  Of course it looks like the major TV networks didn't think
so, seeing as the only place you could see the matches was on ESPN 2.
"Hi, ho, I'm a big-shot network executive!  I have absolutely no clue
about anything!  Australian Open finals?  Oh, there's three other big
tennis tournaments every year, I think we can skip this one."  But
heaven forbid they actually not broadcast a regular season basketball
game.  The NBA regular season:  is nothing more of an exercise in
futility?  Do they really need to play 250 games to figure out which two
teams *don't* make it to the playoffs?  Seriously, people... but back to
the Aussie Open.  On the women's side, Jennifer Capriati defended her
title against Martina Hingis, and on the men's side, Thomas Johansson
came from out of nowhere to beat Marat Safin.  Some cool matches
throughout the tournament, too.

You know, after thinking about it for a minute or two, every sport
should be run the way tennis is run.  Scratch the "regular season" and
just have three to five tournaments a year, plus some scattered
exhibitions and smaller tournaments.  If you lose, you're out -- better
luck at the next tournament.  Not "well, we've got 274 games left in
the season to make up for our loss today.  No biggie."  And globalize
everything, too.  I mean, they call baseball's championship the "World
Series" when 95% of the world isn't even invited.  A bit pretentious,
no? (I could go on and on about this global sports thing, but that's a
story all to itself...)


Next story... how about the State of the Union address?  You know, that
stupid thing they aired on TV on Tuesday night instead of showing 24?
Is it just me, or did it seem like President Bush's writers told him,
"Hey, use the word 'evil' a lot, people really get a kick out of it."
I'm guessing that the one quote I remember from the speech, "They are
as wrong as they are Evil," was supposed to move me to cry or to stand
up and salute the flag or something, but not laugh.


But speaking of evil, one town in Florida (the dark land to the east
from whence storms arise, servant to the dark lord Sauron) has put their
money where their mouth is on the anti-Evil issue and banned the Devil.
(this comes from http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/29/town.satan/index.html)
Way to fight the good fight, oh small town of Ingles, FL, I'm sure your
proclamation that "Satan, ruler of darkness, giver of evil, destroyer of
what is good and just, is not now, nor ever again will be, a part of
this town of Inglis" will cause people to think twice before sinning in
your peaceful fishing village.  Satan, law-abiding citizen that he is,
will surely pass you by from here on out.


Enough about evil.  Let's have some fun!  If you're at all into
abstract interactive art *besides* games, scoot on over to
http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~macopism/noct/data/index.html for some
dancing light goodness.  The instructions are all in Japanese, but if
you don't speak Japanese you can assume that absolutely everything
just says "Click Here" and still get as much out of it.


And, as if calling out to me, specifically, "Yumiko, plug our webcomics,
now's the perfect chance,"  both Penny Arcade (www.penny-arcade.com) and
PvP: Player vs. Player (www.pvponline.com) have redone the look of their
sites this past week, so you might as well stop by and take a look.  It
really couldn't hurt, now, could it?


To finish out this news report, let us gaze into the future...


Super Bowl's tomorrow.  Apparently this year they're even playing a big
football game for us to watch while we pig out on snack food.  (Don't
look at me like that, even the Ninja must eat!)


And, one week from yesterday, Winter Olympics begin in Salt Lake City!
Yaaaaay!  Of course, this means that you won't hear anything from me
*or* Ky unless it's about a great hockey match, or who took gold in the
biathalon, or what the newest extreme snowboarding exhibition event is.


Until next time -- and pray that we meet again as friends,
  Yumiko