Counter-Strike Night Update

So! Site readers and friends, spread this post around the various sites and spread the word. Here's the plan:

What: CS, baby.
Version: 1.5 stock
When: Thursday 9/25 at 9:30PM CST
Who: The [SSB] thugs and friends - this involves pretty much anyone who's ever attended one of our lan parties. Little siblings are also on the list.
Where: Physically, your very own computer. Server? If anyone wants to start a server that has the bandwidth to handle 14 players (university connections are good), then let me know, otherwise I'll run a listen server here at blake.snagger.org ( 129.116.45.184 ). If you want, ping that address and let me know if it's playable.
Other info: integrated voice comms will be used but not required. Bring a microphone if ya got it, otherwise, be familiar with your teamchat key (typically Y or U).

Again, post comments to sign up so we know who to expect and who to slap for being too good to come get some bomb defusing action. I'll count the following as already signed up from old comments:

aroon
chris
amit
emma
blakerson

Tell your friends!

Iraq: a retrospective from 2013

At last, my entry in the Plan II Essay Contest is done and submitted. I've posted the essay for everyone to read online. Here's the premise:
Assume that ten years from now, in 2013, you are a tenured professor of American history at a prestigious university and are free to express your opinions without fear of retaliation. Your specialty is American foreign policy. You are writing a 7 page retrospective analysis of the merits of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In your article, which you hope to publish in a mass-market news magazine, you first examine the stated objectives of the invasion and the allegations of fact underlying them. You consider whether any reason or combination of reasons was sufficient to justify the U.S. led invasion in 2003 at that time.

Next you will consider in the light of subsequent events (between 2003 and 2013) whether the invasion succeeded in its aims. With your (hypothetical) knowledge of the economic, political, cultural and environmental status of Iraq and the Middle East in 2013, please address the question: "Was it worth it?" In this second part you may invent any future that you can make plausible to your readers.

In your essay, address at least two objectives, which may or may not be included on the following list:

To reduce the threat from Al Quaeda and other Islamic terrorists.

To prevent Saddam Hussein from using weapons of mass destruction that pose an imminent threat to health, safety and welfare of Americans in the U.S.

To liberate Iraqi citizens from a tyrannical regime with a track record of torture, murder, and repression.

To replace the Baathist regime with a democratic form of government, which will increase stability in the middle east by serving as an example for other Islamic nations. Judges of the essays will include both hawks and doves.
That said, my entry can be found here. These are my predictions and personal opinions and while I'm willing to talk about it and explain why I said things, I'm not going to squabble. Hope you enjoy.

Counter-Strike Night

So since Soph tells me we have a nice ability to gather together online and do stupid things like chat online, I say why not put our good broadband connections to use and play some CS old-school style? I'm saying Thursday night (maybe next week since that'd be short notice and all), it's before the weekend starts, and we can all play using the voice communications built into CS. Leave a comment if you're interested and when's a good time to get your game on!