Protoceratops.

Here's why: (Lamavore I hate you for making me aware of this.  You owe me 120$)

MONTREAL – June 19, 2012 – The exclusive MechWarrior Online™ Founder’s Program goes on sale today, and the new LEGENDARY tier option has been added for the hard-core MechWarrior fan. Dubbed “OPERATION INCEPTION,” the Founder’s Program participants gain early access to the game, starting on August 7th in addition to other valuable benefits: in-game currency, custom BattleMech(s)™ (ELITE and LEGENDARY levels only), a free premium account (1-3 months), a permanent “Founder’s Tag” and more. This limited chance to secure exclusive MechWarrior Online game content is available for purchase via three ranks on www.mwomercs.com/founders/
 
$120 LEGENDARY Founder's Package Includes:
• All 4 exclusive “Founder's BattleMechs.” These Mechs include a lifetime, per-match C-Bill booster.
• $80 value of in-game currency* for in-game item purchases.
• Three-month premium account to MechWarrior Online at launch: Earn XP & C-Bills faster.
• Founder's Tag - sets your status apart from the crowd & get noticed in-game and on the forums.
• Game credits – The player’s name included as one of the “Legendary” in the MechWarrior Online game credits.
• Early access to the game along with Founder's assets availability starts August 7th.
 
$60 ELITE Founder's Package Includes:
• One exclusive custom “Founder's BattleMech.” This Mech includes a lifetime, per-match C-Bill booster.
• $80 value of in-game currency* for in-game item purchases.
• Two-month premium account to MechWarrior Online at launch: Earn XP & C-Bills faster.
• Founder's Tag - sets your status apart from the crowd & get noticed in-game and on the forums.
• Early access to the game along with Founder's assets availability starts August 7th.
 
$30 VETERAN Founder's Package Includes:
• $40 value of in-game currency* for in-game item purchases.
• One-month premium account to MechWarrior Online at launch: Earn XP & C-Bills faster.
• Founder's Tag - sets your status apart from the crowd & get noticed in-game and on the forums.
• Early access to the game along with Founder’s assets availability starts August 7th.
 
OPERATION INCEPTION assets and early game access will be available for LEGENDARY, ELITE or VETERAN package players starting August 7th.
Reserve your pilot name at www.mwomercs.com.
*For in-game currency, Founders’ accounts will be credited beginning August 7th with a non-refundable amount of in-game currency equivalent to the retail cost set out in each package above ($40 value for VETERAN Founders, $80 value for LEGENDARY and ELITE Founders), and those credits may be used for in-game purchases of virtual items only. The closed beta and OPERATION INCEPTION assets will enjoy support only in North America.
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About MechWarrior Online
Set in the year 3049 during the early stages of a massive interstellar war, MechWarrior Online puts you in command of the most powerful war machine to ever walk the field of battle, the mighty BattleMech. Pilot your Mech and customize it to suit your preferred battlefield role; upgrade systems, weapons, and armor with endless options giving you creative control over your battle strategy as you face your next opponent. MechWarrior Online delivers a rich online experience, rewarding everything a player does with experience points, C-Bills, unlocks, and recognition. Upgrade skills and refine your role in gameplay using an all-new leveling system, and up-to-the minute detailed player statistics allow you to compare, track and share your progress with other players. Visit www.mwomercs.com.
About Piranha Games Inc.
Piranha Games Inc. was founded in January 2000 by Russ oxock and Bryan Ekman. Piranha Games is focused on the core action games market and has worked on exciting IPs such as: Need For Speed® and Transformers® 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Please join us at www.piranha-games.com.
About Infinite Game Publishing
IGP is a newly formed publisher of AAA online interactive entertainment. Formed by industry vets with a passion for great games, IGP’s leadership is driving online entertainment forward by partnering with best-in-breed developers to bring high-octane excitement to PC gamers everywhere. Official Web site: www.infinitegamepublishing.com.

Seriously, this Houla thing is insane.  Syria is a civil war that will become a genocide real soon if nothing is done.  And I am more worried for the ruling Halawites than anyone.

Time to bomb the living daylights out of them.  I called it on Libya, and now it's on for Syria.  So the question is:

How long until Assad gets greased?

Or not too far enough?

http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/10/space-rock-vesta-promoted-to-protoplanet/?hpt=us_t3

First Pluto gets demoted, now Vesta gets a promotion.  How far with Sol's re-org go?  Will Ceres get promoted next?  This smells of affirmative action.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/27/world/asia/china-activist-escape/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Seriously - a blind guy escapes house arrest in Beijing?  Embarassing enough that he is blind and got away, but how come they can't find him?

I have been asked to write a column for this website:

http://zouchmagazine.com/

As you can see I am a victim of my own writing prowess, and have been backed into a corner.  I am struggling to come up with a theme that is appropriate for the site, and knowing myself, I am likely to offend people here.  Except the Angry Man.

By way of a public apology to Mia for tormenting her, I would like to propose to her that I submit a sample of her poetry to this site.  With her permission of course.  Mia, let me know - you don't have to accept myu apology, but you should publish, and I can guarantee it.

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/05/black-student-defends-his-confederate-flag/?hpt=us_c1

Now I am not a southern man, but everyone understands what the confederate flag has come to symbolise.  I think this is a great example of someone who, through independent thought, challenges the dogma and symbols his community tells him to hate, and neutralises it by breathing new meaning into it.

Here is a man who can think for himself, and can frankly think better for others than the extremist haters who have come to dominate some groups in his community. 

Every group that has an identity is made up of a few leaders, and a mass of intellectually lazy followers who can do nothing more than parrot the words of others - often these followers don't even understand what they are talking about, so they are reduced to a byte or two triggered by symbols or keywords.  Extremist haters use these symbols to feign offence and marshall their unthinking followers the way the Nazis did with gold stars.

And the crazy thing about this is that these parrots often rile people up into knee-jerk censorship.  If you believe in the power of freedom of speech, this is an interesting read indeed.

I haven't been able to access the site for days - does anyone know?

A girlfriend once asked me what mythological creature I thought I was, and I said a Minotaur, because I think I am a littl bull-headed.  But she paid me a compliment by disagreeing, and saying I was a Centaur.  I asked her why, and she said I had the mind of a man, and definitely the body of an animal.  This is the same girl who went at me through Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

So, what animal or mythological creature are you, and why?

For the few independent thinkers still left out there, please join me in celebrating the death of Steve Jobs. 

His minions will surely press on selling apples, but none could be as monopolistic and hateful of their customers and the #2 snake, now dead and hopfully forgotten shortly.