The Blog is moving to a new site!

It's finally happened! I've gotten the website up over at www.thecoffeerocks.com.
There will be some subtle changes to the site as I move forward, but the format I've moved to will allow those changes to be (hopefully) seamless.

You'll also notice that the format hints to different sections such as Articles and Guides, and has plenty of room for potential future content sections. This is not an accident, and I happily invite anyone who would like to contribute content of any kind to do so. Send me an EVEmail, or a mail to thecoffeerocks@gmail.com and we'll get it done.

Thanks!

Back! Sort of!

Wow, it's been a wee bit longer since I've written a post than I actually thought. Time has a way of slipping away from you, I suppose. I think about this blog often, but mostly it's in relation to the reasons I haven't updated it. What I mean is, instead of thinking "Oh, I need to write a post", I mean "I really need to write THAT post on WHY I'm not updating it." Well, this is that post.

First though, I'll do a quick capture on what's happened since I last wrote a post. Let's see, there's the Somer Blink scandal, Rubicon launch, the Halloween War and the battle of B-R5RB, PLEX for Good (I did manage a quick post for that), changes to the scanner and warp speeds, ship re-balances, and, well, too many other things to even begin to catch up on. Instead, I'll focus on the BIG one that effects my little world the most.

Starting back in December 2013 my corp at the time (an Industrial, Markets, & Small Gang PVP-minded corp) was re-rolled into Thrall Nation (.THN.). Thrall Nation was created for one purpose: to join the alliance of the Brave Collective (link to latest Alliance interview), home of Brave Newbies Inc. (BNI).

Thrall Nation [.THN.] was born.

Naturally, most of you have me figured out well enough to know that this was not a snap decision because, well, Coffee doesn't make snap decisions. I prefer "the long play" on big plans and I always weigh the situations before us as best as I can. To that end, I stuck an alt into BNI early last fall. My intent was to spy, but only in the most positive of ways. At the very least I would gather intel that would be mutually beneficial to both parties: market and trade data on what we could leverage during BNI staging, ops, and deployments for Thrall member profit. Of course, at the very best was what ended up happening: If the BNI culture was as good as what I'd heard, we might just say "Hell with this, let's just join with them".

7o indeed, good sir.

It really was as good as you've heard. But, I digress, that story deserves a post of its own.

So, with all that fun stuff going on, why haven't I kept up on the blogging? Well, partially the move to BRAVE is to blame. As CEO, it's very important to me to be an active leader. With the Corp's move and reorganization, combined with BRAVE's Winter War in Syndicate and the subsequent Burn Catch campaign we are currently in, I typically use up any free time in the game itself. Of course, I'm still attending college (last semester for the AA) and working part time. Plus, you know, the wife wants some time too. I manage to pencil her in every other Tuesday.

But there's a bigger reason than all that. Since last fall, I've known I wanted to move this blog to its own website and expand upon it, so I held off on new blogs and spent that time working on it. Nothing too fancy, but a site where I can also provide informational pieces, guides, and other snippets of information for the player base. There's already fantastic EVE websites and informative blogs out there that I use such as The Mittani, EVE News 24, EVE University, Jester's Trek, and many more. But they can't cover everything in a game as complex as EVE. I don't plan on covering everything, either, but I did plan on posting what's important to me from the get go. After I was settled in and comfortable with the site, I planned on expanding in areas I feel are worth my time or interest. Notice I'm using past tense here when I speak of my plans? Yah, about that.

Soon....

A long, long time ago when I was about 14 (around the summer of 1995 if memory serves me), I taught myself HTML and Javascript using our household computer. I used that knowledge to build a couple of Geocities sites and eventually my own website, and even garnered a little advertising revenue at the time. My mother thought I would be the next big computer genius and told me to keep at it. Moms are funny that way. Fast forward 19 years, and here I am trying to hammer out a website using HTML and Javascript because, well, that's where my learning stopped. Listen to your parents, kids, their advice will save you headaches later in life.

Those of you that know a thing or two about website development are currently shaking your head saying "You poor dumb bastard". It's true - both on the 'poor' and 'dumb' parts. For those that don't know, computer languages and website development have, well, evolved just a little in 19 freaking years time. I figured I could teach myself what I needed to know just like I did all those years ago. That last sentence has those same web devs now laughing their asses off, but I really thought I could. And, for a brief moment there, I did. I learned CSS! MY GOD, CSS IS BLESSED MAGIC SENT FROM UP HIGH!! Good job Coffee - you are now in 1996, you moron.

After learning CSS and playing with it, I moved on. For a couple of months I tried to figure out what these newfangled "databases" were, and this futuristic "PHP" and whatnots, and this "Python" or snake or cobra-kai or whatever the hell these darned kids call it these days. Yah.... it was like smacking face first into a big freaking brick wall. Damnit, I better call Mom and admit she was right about one thing - I should have stuck with it back then. I hate calling her to tell her she was right about something. It keeps happening the older I get, too.

I finally called a buddy of mine that owns his own web dev company and got his honest advice. He knows me well enough to know that a) I don't ask for anything for free, so I wasn't calling to ask him that and b) I have no money to pay for someone to do it for me, so this phone call wasn't that either. After discussing particulars, he pinged me pretty quick on some other stuff and left me with some solid advice on how to proceed. He's confident I can get it done with what he told me. I wish I had his confidence in me, but I'm too stubborn to quit now. So, in the mean time I'm going to keep the occasional post here while working on the site. I promise you - it will be done, AS BOB AS MY WITNESS IT WILL BE DONE!

Sigh. Time to get back at it.

IRL: Coffee's 9-11 Speech to Hartnell College

Today is the 12th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001, by members of Al-Qaeda. A week ago, I was asked by one of the staff at Hartnell College if I would speak for a few moments in the capacity as a military veteran and a student during the remembrance ceremony. I considered it for a moment, and then agreed that I would. If you've ever broached the subject of world politics, U.S. foreign policy, or the War on Terror with me on Teamspeak, you know that my opinions surrounding these subjects are complicated at best. I am a proud veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, where I have earned multiple awards for emergency environmental response and management, investigations, and federal law enforcement. That said, people mistakenly believe that I would be a self-loving uber-patriot who orgasms every time I see a picture of George Bush simply because I took my job in the military seriously.

George Bush actually orgasms when he sees my pic. True story.

Sorry to disappoint, but I'm a firm believer that a true American patriot is one who critically questions every government's actions to ensure the best decisions and intentions are respected - especially the United States' over all others. My opinions are formed by looking over all the evidence, asking questions when there is a gap in my understanding, and reaching a reasonable conclusion based on all the facts (and common sense). My opinions are neither right or left, liberal or conservative - they are what they are. For these reasons, I lost a little sleep last night wondering just what I wanted to say.

In the end, what I said today is posted below. I almost lost my composure when I was finishing the third paragraph, and when I finished a few people were sobbing. I guess that means I did an alright job (or it was just that horrible of a speech). Before I leave you with the speech, let me say "Thank You" to all my fellow military, veterans and first responders out there.

Delivered during the Remembrance Ceremony today at 1230 hours at Hartnell College, Salinas, CA:

"Hello, my name is Joshua McAtee. I am the President of the Hartnell Veterans Club and a US Coast Guard veteran. First, thank you to Dr. Lewallen and the staff of Hartnell College for organizing this event and bringing us together. A special thank you to Berta for inviting me to speak, and I apologize if I'm a bit nervous.

I was 19 years old on 9-11. I was getting ready to go to work that morning. I remember walking through the kitchen while tying my tie, and the TV was on some random channel. At some point, I realized something important was suddenly going on and I turned the volume up. I’ll never forget what I witnessed.  I’ll never forget what I felt. 

There was the horror. Horror at the fires, the explosions. I saw on live TV as the second plane hit the towers. The totality of what was happening set in. I watched rescue workers and good Samaritans pour into the buildings to help. I watched as someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, someone’s mother… I watched her body hit the ground after she had leapt from the towers in panic. And then another body fell. And another. And another. Then I watched the towers fall into waves of dust and death. 

Horror gave way to sorrow. And the sorrow gave way to anger, and rage, and hate at those that would commit such an act of evil. That’s what we all saw that day – evil, in its most brutal form. It is an evil that every society has endured, and that many governments (including our own) are guilty of. It is an evil that rages in parts of the world right this moment, and it will be felt again in the future.

It is in no small part that this evil caused me to join the Coast Guard, just as many of my friends joined other branches of the military. We did so not with vengeance in our hearts, but to defend all that we loved and held dear. My time in the Coast Guard taught me valuable lessons, most of which was a lesser known Coast Guard motto: “We do the right thing because it’s the right thing, every time”. That motto is meant to make you pause and reflect on your every decision and every choice. It makes you question the ethics and morals that are reflected in your actions. It makes you choose to be a better person even when it’s the hardest of the choices presented to you. It reminds you when it’s truly right to unsheathe the sword or raise the shield. This simple motto was a reminder that malice and revenge are easy, but they are always the wrong choice. Sacrifice, honor, respect and love are harder – sometimes they seem like the impossible choices - but they are always worth it. 

In the months that followed 9-11, it was not an inconvenience to call your grandmother to say hi and just talk. It was okay to tell your best guy friend that you loved him. You bought the homeless dinner and filled their change cup. You took the time to feel the sun on your face and listen to the life around you. You passed up chances to criticize one another, but never missed a chance to offer a helping hand to a total stranger. We learned something we had forgotten the importance of - to love our neighbors unconditionally, and to hold their lives as dearly as we hold our own. 

All I can ask of you, my friends and neighbors, now that so much time has passed is to not remember that day as just one full of horror and hatred, but as the day you were reminded what is truly important in your life.  Remember to stop and reflect on why you do the things you do. Ask yourself if you are doing them for the right reasons and in the right way. And, above all else, remember to say the following often and without shame:

I love you, all."

IRL: Best. Uncle. Ever.

I have about eleven different blogs started that need finishing, and at least as many comics. But, since real-life is a bitch of a mistress that insists on me doing crazy, mundane tasks like "paying the electric bill" and "eating", I have only been able to retreat to world of gaming in short bursts lately. The majority of that has been in EVE Online (of course), but that had recently taken on the dreaded 'part-time job' status as I worked my alliance diplomat role for the past month (that spurned a couple of blogs coming soon, too). Along with full-time classes and a veteran's club to run I feel a tad overwhelmed. But, things are beginning to wind themselves down and I'm looking forward to getting things off my plate.

Speaking of getting rid of things, I was a little shocked to get a text message from my 15 year old nephew Billy this morning asking if he could buy my old Xbox. You see, when my wife and I moved out to California a couple of years ago, I dropped off my Xbox and my old games at my mother's house so that the grandkids would have something to do while when they get dumped at Grandma and Grandpa's. I didn't play it much anymore - Steam had corrupted me and I rarely touch consoles anymore - and I figured it would get some use there than if I hauled it to CA with me. Since then, I'd gathered that it rarely got touched since the only two big gamers in the herd of nieces and nephews were my nephews Jake and Billy (both 15 now, and cousins). When they were there together, they'd sometimes pop in Grand Theft Auto and slaughter waves of non-suspecting hookers (which always bugged me - you'd think the prostitute community would have started an information campaign once their murder rate jumped 4567 percent in a single afternoon), but mostly it was left alone. Except for when Billy was over. He'd discovered a little game called The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. He'd never really played anything besides FPS because, well, that's what his dad plays. My brother actually refers to anything that is RPG or Fantasy as "games for losers" (he'll spend hours fragging his kids toons in Call of Duty, though), so Billy has never had a chance to play much else. EVE is even outside his reach - the kids in the house aren't allowed to 'play' on the one computer in the house. Once Billy had discovered Morrowind and began playing it, he was looking for every excuse to go to Grandma's just so he could continue unraveling the prophecies of The Nerevarine. I had commented once that the game would get laggy and that he must have think the graphics seem archaic. His response? "Yah, but it's all about the gameplay." Sniff.... I've never been so proud.

I texted to tell him he could have it for free. His response was "Best. Uncle. Ever." Yah, that's worth giving it away.

He also texted back that he couldn't wait to play Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 on it. Again, only because he understands and appreciates that a great storyline arc and immersive environments are more important to him than anything else. My brother might be an FPS jock, but he definitely did something right raising Billy.

EDIT (KOTOR SPOILER ALERT): 9/12/2013 - I just wanted to add that Billy texted the following to me the other day: "HOLY SHIT!! I'M REVAN!! MIND BLOWN!!" I was wondering when he'd get to that part :)

Just wait till I introduce that kid to games like Chrono Trigger, The Last of Us, and a few select Legend of Zelda titles.

EVE Online - A Widow's Perspective

This article has moved to the new website over at 

The Coffee Rocks. 

Click here to be taken directly to the story: EVE Online - A Widow's Perspective
or, continue reading the original post below!
----------------------------

Football widow [foot-bawl wid-oh] noun. A woman who must cope with the temporary death of her relationship during football season.

EVE widow [eev wid-oh] noun. Similar to “football widow”; however, this woman is less fortunate since her widowhood is not restricted to just the fall season – she must learn to cope year-round.

Hello. My name is Stephanie, and I have been an EVE widow for 2 years. But it wasn't always this way. You see, Coffee and I have been together for 10 years, married for 7 of those. And over the past decade there have been several mistresses: First it was Halo, then along came World of Warcraft. And yes, there were even others before he found EVE (here’s looking at you Elder Scrolls and Left for Dead).

Sure, one could argue that I should have been well aware of what I was getting in to; but there really was no adequate amount of groundwork that could prepare me for what was to come.

Here is a typical conversation that takes place when I get home from work:

Coffee: Hi Honey! How was your day?

Me: Oh, it was good – same old, same old.

…

Coffee: Guess what happened today?

(In my head: You cleaned the house? You started dinner already? You bought me something shiny?)

Me: What happened today?

Coffee: When I logged on to EVE …

(In my head: Should have known.)

Now I’m not saying my husband trying to spend every spare moment on EVE is a bad thing, although it took me a while to get to the level of understanding I am at today. I’ll admit, at first I loathed his role-playing games. I mean, we have a lot of things to get done and that honey-do list ain't gonna do itself. I guess the best way to put it would be to say that I went through my own sort of grieving process. For those who aren't familiar, there are seven distinct stages in the grieving process.

Stage 1: Shock or Disbelief

OMG. What have I done?! Did I really marry one of those, those gamers?!

Stage 2: Denial

Addicted? No, no it’s nothing like that. My husband’s not addicted to video games.

Stage 3: Bargaining

Maybe if I find a bunch of things for us to do, then he won’t think about his game so much.

Stage 4: Guilt

I shouldn't give him so much crap for all that time he spends on his game; after all, it’s his outlet, his way to let loose.

Stage 5: Anger

OK, I think he’s “let loose” enough … The trash isn't going to take itself out. The bird poop isn't going to wash itself off my car. The lawn isn't going to stop growing at exactly 1.5 inches in height.

Stage 6: Depression

My husband loves his game more than he loves me.

Stage 7: Acceptance and Hope

You know what? To each his own. It’s good that we have our own hobbies that keep us true to ourselves.

We all “grieve” in our own way. The important thing is to remember that this is a very natural process and we must work through it until that moment comes. That moment where you say, “Maybe this gaming thing isn't so bad.”

I mean, if you really think about it, it’s kind of like dropping your kid off at the sitter and you can get the things done that you want to get done without interruptions. It gives me my much needed “me time”, where I can read, do some cleaning, browse my Facebook. Heck, I even started my own blog!

And sure, there are the incessant ramblings about so-and-so getting scammed and insert-name-here pulling a total dick move. Usually these conversations – after careening on about three sub-tangents – end with me holding up one hand and asking where the heck we’re going with this story.

But there are also moments like this one from my husband’s Facebook status update circa October 23, 2012:

“Happy Birthday to my favorite person, loving wife, and all around best woman on the planet!”

Stephanie: Awww, babe! You make it sound like I hacked your account.;) (For all you readers out there, I did not). Love you!

Ryan: If you want a true test of his love: make him rename one of his best EVE spaceships after you.

Stephanie: He named a character in EVE after me, I'm the head of a corporation ... and apparently now I'm getting a ship for my birthday.

Ryan: ;) He really, really, really loves you then ...

Stephanie: Indeed.

If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

I suppose I should thank my lucky stars he’s not sitting around playing Angry Birds or Candy Crush. I like the concept of EVE. It’s about the rise and fall of industry. It’s about carefully calculated warfare. It’s about star systems and spaceships. It’s political. It’s scientific. It’s so many things that other games just aren't.

And let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like walking into the house and, for a split second, wondering why there is a deep German voice coming from your office. Then, oh yeah, TeamSpeak.

I think that’s one of the aspects I find most fascinating about the whole gaming experience. Not the deep German voices – but the fact that players around the globe can connect and coordinate their efforts to accomplish missions. I’m pretty sure that, with the exception of Antarctica, my husband has gotten to know people on every continent. How cool is that?

Sure, there are the days I worry that my husband has somehow developed Tourette's. Nothing like sitting in the dining room when all of a sudden a burst of colorful language comes barreling from within the other room. 

And there used to be a time when, if dinner was ready, I would wait for my husband to “get to a stopping point” so we could sit down and eat together. Not anymore. If dinner’s ready and he’s too wrapped up in his game, well, sorry buddy, but I’m starting without you. I will not eat my dinner cold.

And let’s not forget all those times when I think I’m having a conversation with my husband. You know, after talking for a minute or so and pause only to be greeted by silence. And only after deepening the intensity of my stare so much that my husband can literally feel my vision boring into his head does he respond with a simple, “What?” Doh! Have you heard anything I've said?!

But that’s part of the give-and-take of it all. It’s the ability to let one another be free to do the things they love. It’s about finding humor in sometimes frustrating circumstances. It’s about finding balance.

Because when it boils down to it, one fact remains: The Coffee really does Rock.

Thank you to my wonderful wife, Stephanie, for surprising me with this guest submission. She writes her own blog, titled "Mr Jackson and Me", about living large (on a tiny budget). You can also follow her on Twitter @symcatee

I love you, hunny! P.S., I'll get the dishes done tomorrow, the bat-phone is ringing...

Be gentle. It's my first time...

Well, I've gone and done it. I have been asked many times to get a blog going, and like a grumpy old man, I've fought many of you off by brandishing my cane screaming "I won't, ya hear, I WON'T!". The truth is I didn't want to go through the trouble of launching and updating a blog only to watch as the people who've twisted my arm never visited or read it (yep, told ya, I'm grumpy). But that isn't fair to the few of you who genuinely wanted me to share my thoughts on gaming, in particular EVE Online, in a format that would allow you to listen to my rants at your leisure. For you kind hearted readers, old or new, here you are.

But what to write? In my own head, I'm 300 pages into a blog site already and it feels weird to me to be actually picking my starting point. I've decided that it would be best to address just what you can expect from good ol' Coffee Rocks:

1. Gudfite
Gudfite is a web comic I started for fun. Like many people, I often see the players in the massive world of EVE Online in a comical light inside my own head. And in my head a comic strip is born as the events unfold. However, I have the artistic skills of an amputee monkey so I choose to manipulate screenshots in order to tell my story. As I get better using the software, you will see the comic evolve. As of now, I will post Gudfite about once a week. If anyone is actually interested in seeing more of it, I may dedicate more time to it and ramp up its frequency.

2. EVE News
There are already enough bloggers and news sites out there handling EVE's events so I have no intent of being solely on the news. However, often I find myself debating others' viewpoints, propaganda, or mathematics, or have watched as a truly fun story has gone unreported. For that reason, I will occasionally post quick articles and op-ed pieces.

3. Guides
Just like the news, there are plenty of guides to help EVE players out. However, they are constantly aging as the game's mechanics and play style changes with each expansion. I find myself constantly coaching allies and corp members on changes, so it only makes sense to extend that into a post that everyone can see.

4. Everything else
Yes, I love EVE Online. I'm sure I'll blog all the reasons why at some point (we call that foreshadowing here in the writing biz). That said however, I love EVE because I love so many other things that influence it - space, tech, politics, science, people, economics, gaming - all the different components that make a myriad of awesomeness that is EVE. That said, you can expect that I will occasionally talk about things that are not about EVE but I think you'd still find interesting being posted here.

So there you are. I will do my best to keep readers with plenty to read, but don't go crazy when I jump all the time from news to the comic to a guide to talking about WoW (oh gods no, maybe not that one). I hope you are as excited as I truly am because I'm looking forward to where this will lead us.

Thank you,
o7 Coffee Rocks