My last "official" day at NG was last Friday. I've got some odds and ends to still clean up (and some documentation to produce for Rob) but after that I'll be devoting myself solely to my new job and my schoolwork.

It wasn't easy to leave NG. When I started up again in July 2006, I wrote how, while NG is undoubtedly Tom's baby, I always thought of myself as its kooky uncle. That still holds - I put a huge amount of work into getting the site to where it's at (in terms of programming) and it gives me separation anxiety just thinking about leaving it. But it's definitely for the best - some people love working from home and could do it forever, but I've realized that it's not for me. Plus, working for a Yahoo company was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I initially was guilt-ridden about leaving NG short-staffed, but finding Rob was a miracle, and he'll probably have everyone saying "Ross who?" within a month.

The last question: will I keep blogging here? I guess we'll find out...

Ever since watching The King of Kong, a documentary with which I'm fairly obsessed, I've been playing some Donkey Kong in my spare time. They talk in the movie about how hard the game is, and they're not kidding - I've been playing awhile and still can't get very far (which may be more a testament to my own skills, or lack thereof).

However, last night I did something momentous (for me). In the movie, there's a line from former head Twin Galaxies head referee Robert Mruczek about how the average gamer will never make it past the third elevator stage (there are four types of stages - barrels, rivets, elevators, and pie factory). The third elevator stage is the 4th board of the 4th level, and last night, I made it there! I was so excited that I took a screenshot at the beginning of the level (I play on MAME).

My goals for playing Donkey Kong are:

1. Make it to the infamous third elevator stage (now completed)
2. Make it past the third elevator stage (chance of happening: 25%)
3. Make it to the Donkey Kong kill screen (chance of happening: 0.001% - the kill screen is the 22nd level, only a handful of people have ever made it there)

Donkey Kong is a brutal, unforgiving game - but last night, it got just a little closer to becoming my bitch. Look out, monkey! (And look out Mike, who has also become a devotee of the game and will probably always be better than me.)

Excerpts from soon-to-be-former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer's resignation today:

Spitzer: "In the past few days I have begun to atone for my private failings with my wife, Silda, my children, and my entire family."

Translation: "I really can't believe I got caught."

Spitzer: "I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me. To every New Yorker, and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I sincerely apologize."

Translation: "Dammit, why did I let myself get caught?"

Spitzer: "Over the course of my public life, I have insisted, I believe correctly, that people, regardless of their position or power, take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself."

Translation: "Son of a bitch, how did they catch me!!!"

How did we end up in this place as a society where someone can go up in front of the nation and speak such utter bullshit? He's not remorseful about what he did - he's remorseful about getting caught. If they hadn't brought the hammer down on him, or if the case was weak enough that he could plausibly deny it, his $4,300/session "private failings" would be still taking place. Why does anyone pretend to believe him? I'd have a lot more respect for someone who went up there and atoned for their lies by laying themselves bare and being totally honest, instead of tiptoeing around the truth with even more BS.

Bye-bye, Elliot. My advice to you: go into rehab. It's the trendy thing to do.

There's this trend among Republicans in the extreme right-wing of their party to refer to Barack Obama using his middle name, "Barack Hussein Obama". The intent is to show the world that he shares a name with the infamous Iraqi dictator, and doesn't that make him a bad person? Or maybe he's secretly a Muslim (and they're all evil)!

The latest such incident in this parade of buffoonery comes to us courtesy of Republican Congressman Steve King:

"His middle name does matter. It matters because [terrorists] read a meaning into that."

Never mind that the Republican party itself has disavowed the nutjobs who refer to Obama by his middle name. Apparently the urge to self-identify as a far-right wacko overrides all else - at least for this guy Steve King.

There are no two ways about it. You can disagree with him on moral or political grounds, but if you think Barack Obama's middle name says anything about him, you either a) haven't yet graduated 2nd grade or b) are a partisan idiot.

For more on this, check out Stewart tossing to Colbert last Thursday and discussing "Hillary RODHAM (Rhymes with Saddam) Clinton". Awesome.

I've been aware of Lost since it started, but never watched it consistently. I like the premise, and it's certainly entertaining, but I got sick of the whole "here are five more crazy plot developments, but we're not explaining any of them" thing.

Then I got a DVR a few months back and realized that I didn't really have much to record - outside of Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Meet The Press, there's not a lot on TV that I think is worth taking time to watch. But part of my problem with "Lost" was that I kept missing episodes, so when it came back on the air, I decided to DVR it and see if that made a difference.

This past weekend I got caught up on the last three shows, and it made me appreciate that very little has changed. The notion that the plane crash and the island aren't what they appear to be is tantalizing, but I'm not interested in having my emotions manipulated and dragged out over the course of 20 episodes to reach the payoff (which probably won't come anyway). And the characters on "Lost" no longer seem to mind that all this stuff happens, but they get no explanations? That baffles me.

Contrast that with my all-time favorite show The Sopranos. Each episode of "Sopranos" was like a mini-movie - rarely, if ever, did it end on a cliffhanger. I tuned in each week because I wanted more of its complex writing and nuanced character development - not "oooh I have to watch next week to find out what the deal is with the people on the helicopter" and of course, the following week, you get only enough little hints to keep you watching the week after that.

I see "Lost" as this carrot on a stick that's perpetually dangling just out of reach. Which is fine, I suppose, but if I'm spending time in front of the TV, I want more than to just be blue-balled into watching the next week's episode.

I was raised in a family with strong liberal values, and when I turned 18 I registered as a Democrat. Over time I grew disillusioned with our two-party system (Ralph Nader, for whom I voted in 2000, has lots to say about this), so when I moved to New Jersey in 2005, I decided to register as an independent. However, last Tuesday, I re-registered as a Democrat so I could vote in the NJ primary for Barack Obama.

Why'd I vote for him? Here are my top three reasons:

1. Iraq
My number one issue remains the catastrophic mistake being perpuated in Iraq (as Iraq had no connection with Al Qaeda and posed no threat to us, and the fighting has killed more Americans than 9/11 and tens of thousands of Iraqis, cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and provides ideological ammunition to our enemies). And in light of this, I favor the candidate who correctly predicted the outcome of the Iraq debacle - in 2002, six months before the actual invasion. The idealist in me likes Ron Paul's approach ("just come home") but I know it's not that simple, and I think the guy who saw Iraq for what it was from day one should be given a chance to end it.

2. Electability
While I respect Hillary Clinton, I also realize that she's been inspiring animosity in her political opponents for the last 15 years and is right-wing arch-enemy number one. Where Obama broadens the appeal of a liberal/moderate approach to politics, Hillary drives everyone but establishment Democrats away from it. I really feel like Obama would win big in November against John McCain, whereas Hillary would energize Republicans and face an uphill battle. Plus, I'm not a fan of this Bush / Clinton / Bush / Clinton thing. If this election's about "change", then I'll go with the guy who's got change in his DNA.

3. Character
You have to be smart to get to the top of national politics, but from hearing Obama speak and reading about his views, I'm convinced that he's unusually intelligent (and obviously eloquent). I know this doesn't appeal to the people who vote for the guy they'd most like to have a beer with, but I'd rather have the smartest guy we can find, the one most capable of getting people together, and I think that's Obama in 2008.

Of course, it's not all peaches and cream. Obama is inexperienced in national/world politics, and I think his "yes we can" stump speeches about unity are mostly fluff. Some people would say America isn't ready for a black president (though I disagree). And my views don't dovetail with his on everything (though if you agree 100% with any candidate, you're an automaton). Even with all that, I still think Obama's the best choice for the job.

However it plays out, I see the election this November as win-win - McCain is among my favorite Republicans, and he'd be a major upgrade over what we have now (though I have serious reservations about his stance on Iraq). And I think Hillary would make a fine president. But Obama is a true political rockstar, the type of guy who doesn't come along that often, and I think he deserves a chance to show us what he can do.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Stephen's almost always funny (even without writers) but occasionally he goes above and beyond with a segment that makes me laugh until it hurts.

Last night's interview with Human Rights Campaign lobbyist Joe Solmonese was one of those. The Human Rights Campaign works for equal rights for homosexuals and is a good organization - I'm 100% in favor of gay marriage. True to form, one of the best arguments supporting gay marriage is the absurdity of Stephen's arguments against it.

Watch & enjoy. (The Comedy Central video player is a little wonky, you may have to hit reload to get it to start.)

As everyone knows by now, actor Heath Ledger died suddenly yesterday. I can understand why this is news - he was a celebrity and played some memorable roles, most notably Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain. It'll be a little weird watching him as the Joker in this summer's The Dark Knight.

What I don't get is why this hits people so hard. I monitor Digg semi-regularly, and popular stories there often get somewhere around 5,000 diggs. The story about Ledger's death on Digg has over 15,000 diggs, and is full of commenters offering up their grief and sympathy.

He was only 28, so his death was a shock - but he's hardly the only 28-year-old to have died yesterday. In fact, according to government statistics (and using 2006 for comparison's sake), around 6,619 people died in the USA yesterday.

What makes people who never knew this man express grief for his loss, while ignoring the many others who die every day? Why is his young daughter worthy of condolences, but the families of the nameless others aren't - is it simply "out of sight, out of mind"? Do people really care, or is it just morbid fascination? Is celebrity news somehow more compelling than "real life"?

I was really busy this fall and rarely had time to watch movies, so I decided to try to catch up during the past few weeks. I love late December/early January for movies - it's when many of the best films gets rolled out (to sneak them in for Oscar consideration). I'm still not caught up, but here's what I've seen recently:

1. No Country For Old Men
I've always liked the Coen brothers, and based on the reviews, I had high expectations for this film - and it met them. It's so well-done and intense that I think I went an hour without swallowing. If Javier Bardem doesn't win the Oscar for his role, it's a conspiracy. My only complaint was the ending - I get it, but didn't the Coen brothers already mine that same territory with Fargo?

2. Juno
I liked this film a lot - it was heartfelt and funny. However, I wasn't big on Juno's "too-cool-for-school" dialogue - everyone else felt like real characters, but her extended "clever" riffs seemed like something out of a sitcom. Still, Michael Cera had some of the most hilarious lines in recent memory. And how amazingly cool were Juno's parents?

3. Michael Clayton
George Clooney is awesome, and this movie, a sort of Jerry Maguire reimagined as a thriller featuring lawyers instead of sports agents, was riveting. I loved Tom Wilkinson as the superstar lawyer pushed over the brink, and the final scene (in the hotel lobby) has to make the list of the all-time great movie confrontations.

4. Away From Her (DVD)
This movie, about an older man whose wife develops Alzheimer's disease, was so incredibly sad in parts that I couldn't breathe, but it never does cheap tugs on your heartstrings. It's a beautiful tribute to love and the human condition by Sarah Polley (the hot girl from the Dawn of the Dead remake). If you rent it (and you should), be prepared with kleenex.

5. Atonement
I was skeptical of what I thought would be a big, sprawling British war romance story. Instead, I got caught up in it (it's not simply a romance story), and the final scene, which caught me by surprise, really ties it all together and makes you appreciate the movie's title. I also liked how we kept getting to see scenes from two different perspectives - neat technique.

6. Blade Runner: Final Cut
I'd never seen "Blade Runner" in any form, so I was excited to see what is talked about as the definitive version, the way Ridley Scott wanted it. Considering that it came out in 1982, the film's visuals were far ahead of their time - but the story itself struck me as a pale, watered-down version of the book upon which it's loosely based. I was underwhelmed - I guess if I would've seen it 25 years ago, it would've left more of an impression.

7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
This true story of a man who suffers a stroke and can thereafter only blink his left eye is simply amazing. It's so easy to feel sorry for yourself - but Jean-Dominique Bauby, who had every reason to want to die, instead finds a state of grace and actually writes a book about his experience. This film makes you reset your perspective and will leave you awed at the things we human beings can overcome.

8. No End In Sight (DVD)
If you're like me, this documentary about the mishandling of the USA's occupation of Iraq will make you want to hunt down Donald Rumsfeld and kick him in the balls. Their lack of preparedness, combined with their blithe disregard for facts and expertise that didn't suit their purposes, really shows you the Bush inner circle's true colors. How could any potential terrorist see our government's callous behavior in this movie and NOT hate us?

I still need to see There Will Be Blood, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, Rescue Dawn, Into The Wild, In The Shadow Of The Moon, The Savages, and Persepolis before I deem myself "caught up" on movies in 2007. Fortunately, my wife got me Netflix for X-Mas, which is way handier than I'd realized.

If I had to pick one movie as my favorite of 2007, it would be The King of Kong (see my review here). The worst movie I paid money to see last year was Ghost Rider - god, it was awful in every way.

(Below, Javier Bardem in "No Country For Old Men" - one of the all-time most unsettling film roles.)

Some people like Rudy Giuliani for the way he cleaned up New York City in the 1990s, and that's great. But I'll never vote for anyone who engages in such blatant fear-mongering and attempts to exploit 9/11 for his personal gain, claiming that a Republican president makes us safer while a Democratic one puts us in danger.

Keith Olbermann nails him dead to rights in an eight-minute condemnation here:

http://unamericanrevolution.com/electi ons/a-scent-of-revolution-in-the-air/

Instead of reaching out to the best in people, Giuliani takes the ultimate low road and tries to use fear of another terror attack to obtain votes. Isn't that what terrorists themselves do - use fear as a means to an end? Olbermann points out this root of Giuliani's hypocrisy when he says, in my favorite line from his indictment: "Claim a difference between the parties on the voters' chances of survival - and you do bin Laden's work for him."

Olbermann's commentary ends with FDR's famous words about fear, and they've never been more relevant. Time to go home, Rudy - we're not buying what you're selling.