The latest PSP is bringing up a ton of controversy for the following ad being run in Europe.

PlayStation Portable. White is coming

The Guardian Unlimited’s Games Blog tries a broadside with the following:

It’s questionable, however, whether the world is ready to explore themes of race and domination in the context of a videogame console ad. Although not as wilfully controversial as Benetton’s infamous ‘United Colours’ campaign, many viewers will be unwilling or unable to decode the imagery until it becomes about two different colours of plastic.

Importantly perhaps, the ads are for the European release of the white PSP and are appearing on billboards in Amsterdam rather than in the US where racial tension remains a fraught issue.

This is why I want to write for the Guardian. It would be great to post things without having to bother about that pesky, “Jives with reality on planet earth” thing. This was classic, “Thank God they’re doing this in Europe, and not with those racisit Troglodytes in America.

To wit I respond, “soccer”.

MSNBC:

Claims of racist abuse targeting players at the World Cup emerged hours after FIFA and local organizers promoted the “Say No to Racism” campaign on Wednesday.

France coach Raymond Domenech said black players were taunted as they entered the stadium before their second-round match against Spain at Hanover the previous night.

“When the bus arrives at the stadium, when you hear some fans making monkey chants … I just turned my head away,” Domenech said in Hameln. “I don’t even give them the satisfaction of a look.”

USA Today:

In Germany and several other European nations, crowds shower minority players with racial insults at times. Several of the U.S. team’s African-American players who compete professionally in European leagues say they have been targets of discrimination and verbal and even physical abuse because of their race — on and off the field. There are concerns about how racial incidents might affect the World Cup in Germany, where the 32-team tournament begins June 9 and will be held in 12 cities.

*snip*

“You just ignore it, because whenever you react, that provokes them to do it more,” says Onyewu, 24. “I know it’s not the majority, it’s a minority of people. … I can’t tell you why it started or why it still exists. I just know it exists in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Spain … you name it.”

*snip*

An anti-racism group in Germany is so concerned that it has warned non-white World Cup visitors to avoid rural towns and villages outside Berlin, in the formerly communist eastern part of the country.

And just to drive the point home, US Soccer player Eddie Pope:

Making monkey noises at an NBA game or NFL game? It would be ridiculous

Soccer breeds racism. Abolish soccer.

Even without the soccer-inspired racism, there’s still all that North-African and Middle Eastern racism. Remember folks, nothing going on in Europe is about Islam. Therefore, if it isn’t about religion, it must be about race, right?

Let’s go look at those “tolerant” folk in the Netherlands.

Theo Van Gogh was unavailable for comment.

What about France?

No racial tension here.

Great Britain?

A HIGH COURT judge condemned the Government yesterday for failing to fund Britain’s prisons adequately after ruling that a catalogue of failures had led to the murder of an Asian inmate by his racist, psychopathic cellmate.

Guess not.

Oh well Europe, if it makes you guys feel any better (until you get butchered or your property goes up in flames) to stick your head in the sand and pretend that the US is the center of “racial tensions” in the world, rock on. We really don’t mind, since we’ve come to expect your smug condescension and superiority, coupled with a total inability to handle your own problems. How very Europe of you.

I generally don’t recommend smacking people, Anthony, but there are always exceptions:

On the other hand, I did get to hang out a little with Liam Clancy who is apparently some sort of musician. I was never into the whole Oirish eidelee eidelee music scene, but he seems to have been a significant figure in it. He seemed like a nice guy, although I really wasn’t talking to him much. Alan Gilsenan was in New York for a couple of days, and he bought Liam and his wife out to Molly’s for a few, along with his researcher Anna. Although Liam wasn’t drinking.

Some sort of musician?

SOME SORT OF MUSICIAN?

I mean, I’m not even going to mention “Oirish eidelee eidelee“. I thought it was eidelee deedelee, myself.

Then again, when the company you work for is best known for some mildly successful video game where you get to run over hookers…

Oh well, I was never into the thuglife gotz my gat video game scene.

I found this cartoon on Teresa O’Neal ’s excellent blog.

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Who doesn’t want to be a superhero? Seriously now, who wouldn’t enjoy the amazing powers, and the fighting evildoers and the admiration of their city?

Now you can either tie a blanket around your shoulders and jump off your roof, or you can visit Paragon City in NCsoft’s City of Heroes. Since my wife doesn’t let me jump off the roof nowadays, I’m playing City of Heroes.

What is City of Heroes, you may be asking? To put it simply, City of Heroes is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). In an MMORPG, a player actually plays the game with other players from around the world, all connected via an internet connection to a server. This server (technically a series of servers) forms the game’s “world”.

In City of Heroes, each player creates a Superhero, then joins the game world to battle evil with other players from around the world. The developers have done a great job in creating an interesting and engaging game environment. If you’re not currently playing, I have some invites for a free 14 Day trial. Simply email me, and I’ll send you an access code.

My five year has been deeply affected by the reforms of Marius. This initiated the evolution of the Roman Army from part-time duty of the landed class to a professional standing army.

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