Happy Riot Day! Well, actually it’s May Day, but I guess for a lot of people the two are equivalent. Violence has already erupted in Australia and Europe, and England will be no exception. This year the police say they’re ready, but for lots of morning commuters, the problems have already started. The BBC has a photo gallery that should fill up as the day progresses. The thing that amuses me most about all this is the “May Day Monopoly” plan that the media keep mentioning. The protestors are supposed to be targeting streets and locations on the British Monopoly board, which basically means that everybody (including the police) knows exactly where they’re going to strike. If they know where the violence is going to be, why can’t they stop it?

It’s sad how out of touch with American culture I’m becoming. When I first saw the phrase “disrespecting the Bing”, I thought it had something to do with Chandler from “Friends.”

Gael linked to a fascinating Antiques Roadshow article about Atari games. The last time I played an Atari was New Year’s Eve 1997. I was at my aunt’s house and all the grown-ups were having a jolly time. I wasn’t feeling well though, so I holed up in her guest bedroom and discovered my uncle’s Atari. He seriously had about 30 games, ranging from “Combat” and “Pac-Man” to more obscure titles like “Stampede” and “Kaboom!”. Needless to say, I spent all night in there. Fast-forward about two summers, when my dad calls me to let me know that my aunt is selling the Atari in her annual garage sale. “WHAT?” I scream. I haul ass to her place, only to find that she’s just sold it to some random guy… for ten dollars. She didn’t even realize that it was worth more! I’m still bitter about the whole thing.

Kim pointed to an interesting article on Generation X. Despite the author’s “whining,” I really really liked what he had to say, and I agree with pretty much all of it. The Internet did feel like our thing and the bitterness a lot of us feel isn’t just for our own lost jobs and stock options. We’re depressed because we blew our chance.