Death and taxes (plus NIN and Nintendo)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Today is Tax Day 2007. This year the government decided to give procrastinators an extra day to procrastinate (except for the state of Montana, who, when reached for comment, said, “Screw you guys,” and shot a rifle into the air like a crazy cowboy). I, of course, took the opportunity to wait one more day because I was in no hurry to mail big fat checks to the feds and the state.
The deadliest shooting in U.S. history happened yesterday morning. I don’t have anything insightful or inspirational to share about what happened at Virginia Tech University, but it certainly hit home for a lot of us who are associated with universities. I think we’d all like to feel that colleges are akin to “sanctuaries” of learning, but it shows (once again) that horrific things can happen anywhere. I lived in Blacksburg, VA, when I was a kid and I have family members who are alums of VT. It’s extremely unsettling and sad. This seems like a mini-9/11 for a lot of people. And it brings up the topic of American gun laws, the powerful NRA gun lobby, and “gun culture” again.
The Virginia Tech massacre was the top news story for every country I checked at Google News yesterday. Locally, in response to the tragedy at Virginia Tech, a candlelight vigil has been organized for tonight, starting at 8:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Quad on the Oregon State University campus.
In entertainment news, we have something more uplifting, if patently conspiratorial. The new Nine Inch Nails album Year Zero was released today. But that’s kind of old news, really. Many of us have had mp3s of the entire album for two weeks now. Good stuff, though. Note: I am trying to believe.
I also found this Google Video: Super Mario In HELL. Sweet memories of childhood. I’ll leave you with that 23 minute 4 second gem. I swear I can remember playing this evil mod of Super Mario Bros. somehow, though I’m pretty sure I never downloaded the ROM hack.
“Beep-beep-beep-boop-beep-beep-boop.”
Oh wait, that reminds me of this: Super Mario Piano Guy. This classically trained pianist’s real name is Martin Leung (AKA Video Game Pianist).
And just one more thing: Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, anyone?