Speaking in Tongues

While watching The Da Vinci Code, I am unable to express in words my distate, disgust and frustration. I care nothing about any characters, history, plot or religious connotations in the film. It is not because I am not interested in such things. It is because the writers weren't and so they forget to write those things well. The movie is just terribly written.

Losing the War on Terror, Iraq or not

"American officials say that the new intelligence is focused on Al Qaeda and points to the prospect that the terrorist network is gaining in strength despite more than five years of a sustained American-led campaign to weaken it." - NY Times today
How can we be winning the war on terror if Al Qaeda and Taliban forces have regrouped and strengthened in Asia? Osama is not directly involved but that's always been his role. Why don't we attack the people who are actually going to attack us, or quit lying to America Mr. Bush. I don't feel safe.

Which religion began the myth they all refer to?

Separating a solution into two problems: I combine the idea of Leviathan, beast of the Deep in Judaism; Tiamat, giant serpent whose body became the sea and sky in Sumerian myth; Elder Gods forecast to return and end humanity in Cthulhu; the endless cycle between Shiva and Vishnu in Hinduism; and the Midgaard Serpent forecast to return for Ragnarok in Norse myth into one comparative religious idea. I feel very gnostic when I say that deep down all of these are ways of expressing that people know what the Big Bang is, and that the resulting expansion of the universe is ultimately finite. Perhaps I just exemplified the failing point of comparative religion in believing that my Hindu science theory of calpas is the correct one, and all others just copies. I think these are also ways of remembering that life has ups and downs, bright days and dark days. I think it says, in my agnostic thinking, that what makes or breaks your day is often beyond your awareness or even comprehension.
Listening to heavy metal and reading mythology after taking Ginkgo Biloba is a mind-expanding experience.

To Those Who Take the Bible as the Perfect Word of God:
To accept your truth, I must deny everything I know. I must say that my accomplishments which make myself and others happy and which make the world a better place are worthless. I must become nothing to be anything to you. I cannot conceive of a transcendant love which would wish that loved ones are nothing. You are the anti-example of Christ's love.
Through doubting, questioning, and discovering great men of faith became more faithful and influenced Christians and others to this day. Why then should I deny my questions and simply accept things at face value?
The Bible is not the Word of God, unless I believe it is. There is no evidence that it is, neither does that matter to me in my faith. The Word is not the Truth. The Truth transcends the Word.
If I am to trust the Book and not the words of men, shut up. Everything you say must be a lesser version of the Truth if I believe you at that point.

More Role-Playing, Less Game

I was just browsing my free Holy Lands manual. It looked like there was no mention of levels at first. What a brilliant idea. People IRL never go up levels, so why bother with all the damn math? Have all the challenges on a table and set out the DC simply for commons, heros, enemies, animals. Boom.
It would be so much simpler, and more realistic. It also makes it easier to create a character. So much less calculation, especially to create a new character with advanced levels. The GM would have to make some changes and decisions as necessary. People wouldn't need to be attached to their character, making killing them easier. Great. If everything is always at the same level, everything is always balanced for your level. Boom. Work more with plot and less with numbers.
No levels. No experience. No guarantee the PCs will live to the next adventure. It would be great for a horror setting.
Attributes? What another pain in the ass. Skills? Don't get me started. I want a game with common people. I like to build characters but what the hell do I need all this stuff to deal with. I just want heroes to be better than the average joe. Villains should be close to heroes. Animals are less than the above. Done. That's it. I don't want characters to be that damned different and I don't want to worry whether Biff can thread a needle with a bullet at 40 paces because he learned a skill at his last level up. Brotha please. Let's make a game that's fun to play and not be so damned proud of ourselves for creating, refining and then endlessly expanding a system. All that does is showcase our overblown creativity without allowing any obstacles. What if this game isn't sellable? What if it isn't much fun? What if it isn't playable by anyone but the absolute suckas with nothing but time on their hands and allowance to buy the latest book? What the hell do we need another DND clone for? It's been done. You can't make it better by adding content. It doesn't work for anyone but the nerds. Niche market bullshit.
New Game. New rules. Simple game. Some dice. Some markers. Characters aren't different numerically. They are set in stone. The only thing that changes is the equipment. I don't want ot hear, "My character was built for this situation. I have a solution on a bag." That's not the kind of play I want to support and I either need to convince that player that that isn't a fun damned experience for anyone else, or change the rules so that gameplay is impossible. I want a game anyone can play at any time, and all they need to worry about is the plot they are involved in and maybe the equipment involved in the current mission. Character building is not part of hte gameplay anymore. That's it. It's done.
Example 1: Player bump into a special forces soldier. IRL he would probably best the average joe, but a martial arts master in the party might be able to take care of him. Why damn well bother? Make the players think of a way to stop the dude. Try something other than combat. Every enemy is a puzzle, not an opponent to roll some dice against. You build a character and write him as a martial arts master. I don't give a fuck. The reason you win is that PCs are better than the average NPC. If I want it to be a challenge I'll put you on the same level., not 5 or 3 but both PC level. I don't want you to be able to level up and beat up the dude I never meant you to beat either, or trick the system by using a weapon in a way not intended by the rules. THE GAME IS NOT TO BREAK MY RULES SO YOU CAN WIN. The game is for me to have fun writing a story and telling it to you as you experience it through a character within it, as we play out roles in life. We will address philosophical problems and questions of faith, politics, religion, ETHICS. Role-playing is a game, a story and a discussion. IT IS NOT YAHTZEE WITH MORE COMPLICATED SCORECARDS. Fuck your DND. I want to ROLE-PLAY.