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Archive for January, 2009

US: The Barbarians of History

Posted by Kai on January 20th, 2009

All along, the media have persuaded us to believe that the Americans are always the protagonists of all wars. Yes, all wars. Almost every single modern warfare includes American intervention/decision-making and/or indirect support.

Back in time...
Ever since World War II, that pivotal attack on Pearl Harbour by the Imperial Japanese, sparked the bloodthirsty violence of the Americans. Well, they are the most resourceful nation on Earth, and have the most systematic military prowess, accompanied by cutting-edge weapon technology to put into trial. The Japanese were a bit foolish to provoke a beast like the US, bombing the shit outta Pearl Harbour, therefore unleashing the hidden powers within the beast.
Of course, without the help of the Americans, the Europeans would fall swiftly to Nazi Germany. But after defeating Germany, they literally single-handedly levelled Berlin to rubble and debris, killing a huge amount of people. In Japan, the Americans also "bullied" the Japanese by capturing the islands surrounding mainland Japan. Then they began the slaughter. Almost 67 cities were bombarded with heavy weaponry as well as airstrikes, killing another huge amount of people.
What I'm trying to point out here, isn't that the US are totally antagonists, but they commited very sinful war crimes. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a result of American decision. It was an executive order from US president Harry Truman. The first ever atomic bomb was the largest war crime ever commited, killing innocent civilians by the hundreds of thousands.
In Vietnam, they did exactly the same. It was a result of the cold war between communism and the free world. Vietnam was a "laboratory" for Russia and USA to test their new weaponry, and the Vietnamese were just pawns in a large chess game. This time however, the US did a "hands-on" job on the war.
When I went to Vietnam and witnessed the horrific incidents of the war, I could only imagine how ruthless the Americans were. The use of biochemical weapons, although disobeying the regulations set by the UN, was implied. It was an abuse of power, and the war crimes go on without any punishment. They were, more or less, exonerated from any conviction for huge guilts. The UN keeps one eye closed for the meantime.
Vietnam resulted in a massive number of Vietnamese as well as American casualties. This time, the Americans lost the war!!! Although having massacred countless people, the Americans retreated and gave up fighting communism. Ho Chi Minh then went on to capture Saigon and announced communist victory over both South Vietnam and the US. But before the Vietnam war, there was also a Korean War, a war against communism and the US also lost to the North Koreans. That war also included a massive massacre of Koreans. Due to the lack of info on this subject, I shall leave it out.
The most recent failure was against terrorism and dictatorship in Iraq. Yes, it was easy to wipe Saddam Hussein off the face of the Earth, but it was absolutely difficult to wipe out the extremist insurgents. It was another failure for the badass Americans, whose deaths number to the thousands, and innocent deaths of Iraqis also mounting to the thousands.
Now, they're better, more conservative. By not interventing between the Battle of Gaza, they seem less violent a race. But by indirectly supporting Israel, they're fueling the war on and on. When will it ever end?
Modern, global wars that directly involve USA:
1. Spanish-American War
2. World War I
3. World War II
4. Cold War
5. Korean War
6. Vietnam War
7. Gulf War
8. Iraq War
Not persuaded by my thoughts? Think again.

Classic CS or the New Source?

Posted by Kai on January 10th, 2009

The term CS has more commonly used for Counter-Strike rather than dictionary's civil service. Yes, Counter-Strike is one of the most popular and influential games ever produced. The game is included in all gaming competitions, and boasts a lot of fans.

If you're an energized person who wishes nothing more than fast-paced, heart-racing gameplay, CS is the game for you. Instead of just fraggin' bots, CS has turned to the online world for more intense gameplay. Indeed, it has become, again, one of the most popular multiplayer games to date.
The more popular versions of  CS is the classic CS 1.6, CS: Condition Zero and CS: Source. All three of them derive from the Half-Life source engine, with Source utilising Half-Life 2 engine. Since Condition Zero is only an expansion pack for the original CS, I will leave that out. The main point of debate is between 1.6 and Source.
CS: Source boasts fantastic graphics but with humble system requirements. CS 1.6 is the classic game where it all came from. But which game, suits the multiplayer gameplay more?
Since I have played both games before, I came out with a conclusion. Apparently, CS:S gives you a comfortable environment, a soothing atmosphere for gaming. But of the gameplay, it seems less than perfect. I personally think (it may not be true but hey, it's an opinion) that the gunshooting scenes are a bit flawed. The guy who nails the first shot on the other guy will certainly win the duel, well unless you can hide behind walls or whatever. But if it's a fight to the death... it will be "first come, first served".
CS 1.6 gives less oomph in the environment but gives more attention to the gunshooting gameplay sequence. The battles in 1.6 are more than intense than that of the new Source. Even the bots are smarter than Source. I have not detected than bugs or flaws in CS 1.6's gameplay and it seems to be the best FPS game I've ever played.
However, both games remain extremely popular to this day. Some of the gamers prefer 1.6, some may like Source. But for all of them, they all know Counter-Strike.
For me however, CS 1.6 OWNS.

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