Sexism In Fighting Game Culture Says Nothing About Gamers, But It ...

Essay

by Becky Chambers | 12:34 pm, March 1st

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If you?ve been around any tech or gaming sites this week, you?ve already seen the big brouhaha surrounding Cross Assault, a fighting game reality show sponsored by Capcom. To sum up: The leader of the Tekken team, Aris Bakhtanians, made a number of rather jaw-dropping remarks concerning sexual harassment in the fighting game community, which he seems to view as a God-given right. Player Miranda Pakozdi later threw a match after Bakhtanians ? her own teammate, mind you ? continued to harass her (queries about her bra size were the just the tip of the iceberg).

The whole to-do has already been covered extensively elsewhere, and a significant portion of the fighting game community has loudly decried Bakhtanians? actions, stating that his boorish behavior is not reflective of gaming culture as a whole. If you?re a gamer, you already know that. There are plenty of awesome gamer guys out there who would never even consider engaging in this kind of nonsense. The Cross Assault incident is yet another case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.

However, what I would like to address is the all-too-familiar sentiment behind Bakhtanians? appalling comments. The argument I see popping up a lot around this issue ? and indeed, around most discussions of sexism, racism, or homophobia ? is one of censorship. It goes like this: Trash-talking is funny, comedy is inherently cruel, and toning it down every time someone gets offended flies in the face of free speech. If you don?t get the joke, then go somewhere else.

Okay, yes, but?no.

Freedom of speech is something I will defend to the death. I?m a card-carrying member of both the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. I believe that everyone should have the legal right to express themselves however they like. Please notice that I said legal right. The idea of a governing body dictating what you can and cannot say or read or watch or think gives me the shivers. So when I write about depictions of women in video games that I find, shall we say, less than palatable, I?m under no illusion that the developers are somehow obligated to change their ways. I hope that they will take the socially responsible route, but if they don?t, I?m not going to demand that the government should ?do something about it.? I?m just going to spend my money on developers who do care about their female audience. Content creators absolutely have the right to say whatever they like. Similarly, I have the right to say that I don?t like it. Such is the beauty of free speech.

I also know that comedy is often at its best when it crosses social boundaries. That?s why comedy is so important in the first place. It?s a way for us to try to figure out our weird, contradictory world. And yeah, trash-talking can be fun, too (so long as everyone is laughing). Jokes about gender and race and sexuality can totally be funny ? but it depends heavily on the context, the delivery, and the underlying message. Of course, comedy is also hugely subjective. Just because one woman laughs at a joke about women doesn?t mean that all women will laugh at that joke. And it doesn?t mean that all the women who don?t get the joke are somehow in the wrong. It just means that we?re all different.

This is where I think some people have a misconception of what ?freedom of speech? means. Free speech does not give you carte blanche to speak without consequences. You are free to say what you like, but you are also responsible for your words and actions.

If you are a comedian, an author, a blogger, a podcaster ? anybody who makes stuff for the masses ? and decide to make a joke about a person or a group of people, you are within your rights to do so. This is a matter of knowing your audience. If a member of your audience gets offended, it?s up to you to decide what to do next. You can choose to amend your act, or your can choose to ignore it. It depends on who you want to keep in your audience. You?re under no obligation to pander to anyone. But people are under no obligation to sit and listen, either. If several members of your audience stand up and say ?Enough,? then you should probably think about what?s coming out of your mouth before you wind up with no audience at all.

If you are an individual making a joke directly to another person?s face (in the digital age, that can mean through chat, Vent or blog comments as well), and that person tells you that they are offended, you still have options. If you decide that the joke was offensive, you might decide to never make a joke like that again, to anyone. If you don?t think that the joke was offensive, you might still recognize that that particular individual was offended, in which case you might decide to tell the joke only to people who will get it and to avoid the offended individual entirely (that person probably won?t want to hang out with you, either). Or you can keep making the joke directly to that person?s face, believing that you are blameless for the person?s offense, because it?s not your fault that he/she doesn?t find it funny ? and maybe, his/her offense makes the joke all the more funny to you.

If you choose that last option, congratulations. You?re a bully.

Humans are a social species, and I believe that means we have a responsibility to the well-being of the people around us. We can?t be nice to everyone. We won?t always (or ever) agree with everyone. We don?t always laugh at the same jokes as other people. But when a person tells you to stop doing whatever you are doing directly to them, you stop. Period. End of discussion. Groups can disagree with one another, and even publicly decry one another. That?s okay; that?s human nature. Picking on an individual because they don?t fit into your group, however, is wrong. It?s heartless, it?s childish, and there is nothing funny about it.

This is an issue that goes beyond sexism, or racism, or any other ism. It?s not limited to the gaming community, or the comics community, or even to the geek community. But since we?re all here, let?s talk about the geek community. We have always stereotypically been a refuge for the weirdos, the nerds, the freaks, the explorers, the free spirits, the others. Bullying, in my eyes, does not belong here. You know what sort of people stereotypically bully others for the amusement of their peers? Jocks. Lets not be jocks. Lets be geeks. We?re better than that.

Becky Chambers is a freelance writer and a full-time geek. She blogs over at Other Scribbles.

TAGS: Aris Bakhtanians | Cross Assault | Miranda Pakozdi | videogames

Source: http://www.themarysue.com/sexism-in-fighting-game-culture-says-nothing-about-gamers-but-it-says-everything-about-bullies/

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Oceans' acidic shift may be fastest in 300 million years

By Deborah Zabarenko

WASHINGTON | Thu Mar 1, 2012 5:40pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's oceans are turning acidic at what could be the fastest pace of any time in the past 300 million years, even more rapidly than during a monster emission of planet-warming carbon 56 million years ago, scientists said on Thursday.

Looking back at that bygone warm period in Earth's history could offer help in forecasting the impact of human-spurred climate change, researchers said of a review of hundreds of studies of ancient climate records published in the journal Science.

Quickly acidifying seawater eats away at coral reefs, which provide habitat for other animals and plants, and makes it harder for mussels and oysters to form protective shells. It can also interfere with small organisms that feed commercial fish like salmon.

The phenomenon has been a top concern of Jane Lubchenco, the head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who has conducted demonstrations about acidification during hearings in the U.S. Congress.

Oceans get more acidic when more carbon gets into the atmosphere. In pre-industrial times, that occurred periodically in natural pulses of carbon that also pushed up global temperatures, the scientists wrote.

Human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, have increased the level of atmospheric carbon to 392 parts per million from about 280 parts per million at the start of the industrial revolution. Carbon dioxide is one of several heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming.

To figure out what ocean acidification might have done in the prehistoric past, 21 researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain reviewed studies of the geological record going back 300 million years, looking for signs of climate disruption.

Those indications of climate change included mass extinction events, where substantial percentages of living things on Earth died off, such as the giant asteroid strike thought to have killed the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago.

The events that seemed similar to what is happening now included mass extinctions about 252 million and 201 million years ago, as well as the warming period 56 million years in the past.

The researchers reckoned the 5,000-year hot spell 56 million years ago, likely due to factors like massive volcanism, was the closest parallel to current conditions at any time in the 300 million years.

To detect that, they looked at a layer of brown mud buried under the Southern Ocean off Antarctica. Sandwiched between layers of white plankton fossils, the brown mud indicated an ocean so acidic that the plankton fossils from that particular 5,000-year period dissolved into muck.

During that span, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere doubled and average temperatures rose by 10.8 degrees F (6 degrees C), the researchers said. The oceans became more acidic by about 0.4 unit on the 14-point pH scale over that 5,000-year period, the researchers said.

That is a fast warm-up and a quick acidification, but it is small compared with what has happened on Earth since the start of the industrial revolution some 150 years ago, study author Baerbel Hoenisch of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said by telephone.

EXTINCTIONS ON THE SEAFLOOR

During the warming period 56 million years ago, known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM, and occurring about 9 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, acidification for each century was about .008 unit on the pH scale, Hoenisch said.

Back then, many corals went extinct, as did many types of single-celled organisms that lived on the sea floor, which suggests other plants and animals higher on the food chain died out too, researchers said.

By contrast, in the 20th century, oceans acidified by .1 unit of pH, and are projected to get more acidic at the rate of .2 or .3 pH by the year 2100, according to the study.

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects world temperatures could rise by 3.2 to 7 degrees F (1.8 to 4 degrees C) this century.

"Given that the rate of change was an order of magnitude smaller (in the PETM) compared to what we're doing today, and still there were these big ecosystem changes, that gives us concern for what is going to happen in the future," Hoenisch said.

Those skeptical of human-caused climate change often point to past warming periods caused by natural events as evidence that the current warming trend is not a result of human activities. Hoenisch noted that natural causes such as massive volcanism were probably responsible for the PETM.

She said, however, that the rate of warming and acidification was much more gradual then, over the course of five millennia compared with one century.

Richard Feely, an oceanographer at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who was not involved in the study, said looking at that distant past was a good way to foresee the future.

"These studies give you a sense of the timing involved in past ocean acidification events - they did not happen quickly," Feely said in a statement. "The decisions we make over the next few decades could have significant implications on a geologic timescale."

(Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/fwCNGhtnJ2I/us-climate-oceans-acid-idUSTRE82025S20120301

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Try Some Nourishing Low Fat Alcoholic Drinks | Anny's Blog For ...

By admin on March 1, 2012

Alcoholic drinks are among the key servings in virtually all form of gatherings. Whether it be birthdays, weddings or just a night out with your friends, alcohol is extremely expected to be involved. But, what should bother would be the calorie content of most of the alcoholic drinks. They generally contain 7 calories per gram, which can be more than sufficient to get extra kilos. Which is why today We are here to aid minimize the effect of alcohol on your waistline with four low calorie alcoholic drink substitutes.
1. Try Champagne Rather then Bailey?s Irish Cream:- Bailey?s Irish Cream is certainly one of the preferred drinks on Christmas eve. Though, this isn?t at all a suitable alternative if you?re aiming for a little weight loss as it has more than 230 calorie per unit. So as an alternative to drinking Bailey?s Irish Cream have a glass of champagne. Champagne also comes in at a way lower 77 calories per unit of alcohol which represents an overall cutback of 163 calories per unit of alcohol.
2. Mulled Wine For Dry White Wine:- One of the most well-liked alcoholic drinks of most festivals is a glass of mulled wine. Though vibram five fingers shoes , if you are trying to slim down it is not the neatest choice with a unit of mulled wine containing 140 calories. If you need a lighter choice then swap the mulled wine for dry white wine. It is a bit more lighter as compared to mulled wine. It contains merely 67 calorie per unit.
3. Try Coors Light Beer Rather than Stella Artois:- Stella Artois, the premium lagers is broadly well-liked all across world for great flavor. Not only do they contain more alcohol than standard lager but additionally taste better. And with better taste and much more alcoholic contents comes about 102 extra calories per unit. So, we suggest you to test some Coors Light Beer to have similar taste and alcoholic content plus lesser calories. It has almost 90 calories per unit. Additionally jordan heels , it also has lesser carbohydrates. 4. Try Vodka Rather than WKD:- Alco pops for instance WKD are actually accepted between teenagers. But coach handbags outlet , we want to tell you that Alco pops such as WKD is never a sensible choice for those who are desperate to get rid of some weight. WKD is incredibly high on fat contents because it consists of about 178 calories in each unit. Therefore, the perfect choices will be to switch the bottle of WKD that has a bottle of neat Vodka to enjoy the similar tang with lesser calories. You too can reduce the sugar to manage the calorie count. Always, try and drink only undiluted spirits just like Vodkas. Vodkas are so light and has almost 70 calorie per unit.
Please take a look at our wine portal by going to wine tasting.

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Source: http://back-trac.com/index.php/2012/03/01/try-some-nourishing-low-fat-alcoholic-drinks/

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Obtain Best Relief Via Financial debt Consolidation , the burkha ...

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Source: http://www.rockfordwomensfutbol.com/2012/02/29/obtain-best-relief-via-financial-debt-consolidation-the-burkha-financial-debt-management/

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Portland Personal Injury Lawyers Worry That Corporate Settlement ...

Portland, OR (PRWEB) February 29, 2012

Vancouver resident Denise Dales Oregon car accident case was concluded earlier this month after almost three years of repeatedly low settlement offers and delay tactics from Daimler Trucks North America, a member of one of the nations largest automotive corporations, Daimler AG. Dales case is a good example of how large companies sometimes treat car accident injury victims poorly, said the legal partners at Shulman DuBois LLC.

During mediation on Feb. 3rd, Portland personal injury lawyer Sean DuBois won his client over ten times the original settlement offer making it apparent the extent to which corporations will lowball injury victims, he said.

Dale was injured in a March 2009 accident caused by a Daimler employee who was on the job. After the accident, Daimler Trucks North America, which is self-insured, offered her $ 7,500. Not wanting to be taken advantage of during her recovery, Dale hired DuBois, a partner at Shulman DuBois LLC, to represent her (Case No. 1103-03507 filed with the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon, Multnomah County).

By the time mediation began, Daimler Trucks was offering Dale $ 25,000 an amount that did little to cover her medical bills and continuing pain and suffering. The mediator agreed, and Dale received $ 98,000 to settle her case.

People like Denise dont mean anything to these big companies, DuBois said, after the case settled. To large companies, ninety-eight thousand dollars is nothing. (I wonder how much they paid their lawyers to fight this for three years?) But they fight claims anyway.

It is common knowledge to personal injury attorneys that a common defense litigation tactic is to delay a case as much as possible, and Dale was bombarded by discovery requests that delayed her case until February 2012.

First she was subjected to an independent medical exam (IME) in accordance with ORCP 44A an exam that claimed she was not injured and therefore not entitled to any compensation. Then, according to a request for production, she was subjected to an invasion of privacy as the Daimler attorneys (hired by Daimler Trucks) subpoenaed her boyfriend (who was not even present during the accident) and requested all her Facebook comments and posts from before and after the accident.

In fact, although both of these pieces of evidence were produced at the mediation, the expert testimonies and medical records produced by Oregon personal injury law firm Shulman DuBois LLC made a stronger impression eventually ensuring that Dale had the settlement money to pay her medical providers and compensate her for her injuries.

Big corporations need to take responsibility for their employees and stop defending them when their actions have caused injuries, DuBois went on to say, Like auto insurance companies, some corporations have learned how to use the system to save money.

In cases like this, it can be beneficial for the accident victim to hire a personal injury attorney to serve as their advocate. Large companies, said DuBois, whether they are trucking companies, insurance companies, or even retail stores, do not like to pay personal injury settlements and often offer injury victims much less than their claims are worth. Personal injury lawyers can fight these tactics and help ensure justice after an accident.

About Shulman DuBois LLC:

The Portland personal injury law firm of Shulman DuBois LLC, is based in SE Portland, OR. Partners Joshua Shulman and Sean DuBois have experience helping people who have been injured in car, truck, bicycling, pedestrian, and motorcycle accidents. For a free consultation, call 503-222-4411 or contact us at our Portland Injury Law website.

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More Auto Insurance Press Releases

Source: http://www.storiesoftheoldwest.com/auto-insurance/portland-personal-injury-lawyers-worry-that-corporate-settlement-tactics-show-a-disregard-for-accident-victims-injuries.html

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Mallorca-based Incubator Raises ?1.2m, Announces First Investments

Mola.com (meaning "cool" in Spanish), a Palma de Mallorca based startup accelerator/incubator has raised ?1.2M three months after announcing it's official launch. The funding comes from Bernardo Hern?ndez, angel investor and currently Global Head of Marketing for Emerging Products at Google; Javier G?mez Navarro, ex Minister of Tourism in Spain; and Luis Chicharro, ex Executive VP Ibersuizas. Mola.com, founded by Enrique Dubois and Paco Gimena, dubs itself as a startup investment fund, an idea incubator, created by and for entrepreneurs. To date, they have participation in over 30 companies, including their own home-grown projects as well as adopted investments. The company claims a net worth of ? 3 million and a total of ? 11 million invested in collaboration with other investors.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/sauyyj_8ZtU/

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Your Average Facebook Post Only Reaches 16% Of Your Friends

You're not unpopular, it's just the nature of the news feed. Amongst all the business-related news at FMC, Facebook revealed that the average news feed story from a user profile reaches just 16% of their friends. Your actively shared links, photos, and status updates probably reach much higher than 16% of your friends, while more inane auto-generated posts about new friendships, wall posts, and articles you read may only be seen by your closest buddies. Overall, this is actually a good thing, because the reduced visibility of irrelevant content makes room for what you want to see. But don't be alarmed if your all your friends don't like that awesome concert photo, they may just be offline.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/jELMvPM8cwk/

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