BruceVC

The Dems can take a share of the responsibility for Trump's overwhelming win in 2024 But the main reason is people typically vote on current issues and Trump use to be really good at identifying those issues, highlighting them as policy and then repeating them And this resonated with undecided voters who always end up deciding election outcomes But now we see he has failed to deliver on several policies and made a main one worse, inflation, caused by the Iran war So you see serious voters remorse from those largely outside of MAGA Just to add to this, 45-47% of registered voters now consider themselves independent which makes polling and predictions even harder to get right. The Dems currently have a slight advantage in this influential group Gallup.comNew High of 45% in U.S. Identify as Political IndependentsA new high of 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025.

Thats been my rule for the last 15 years or so and its also why I am almost never disappointed with any game I play I wait for official patches and updates at the very least like for STALKER 2 And ideally I wait for mods but thats only for games that support mods like Bethesda or Rockstar games Then I decide on a game based on my family and friends opinions, views on forums like this, Steam user reviews and I sometimes confirm final decision by watching gameplay YT videos But then there are games released by companies as a sequel that I will always play once the official patches are released because I have enjoyed previous games from them so I know I will enjoy them And that includes Obsidian, Rockstar, Bethesda, Larian and Ubisoft to name a few.

I played Plague Tale Innocence which is an action adventure game set in 14th century France, it also has several necessary stealth mechanics. Its basically about a brother and sister who travel plague ravaged France trying to escape the Inquisition, find a cure for the brother and then free there mother. Its fun and has some good moments. Every map has 2-3 ways you can progress around defeating soldiers or avoiding them and you always find enough resources to use a certain skill or weapon. Its short, 20 hours but worthwhile It gets a 63\100 on the " BruceVC game rating system " Now Im playing GTA5 again in anticipation of the eventual PC release of GTA6. But this time Im using about 20 mods that just improve the overall mechanics of the vanilla game and visuals. So for example I added a search mod for dead bodies and car dealership so I can sell any stolen cars. I initially downloaded the enhanced version but realized it doesn't support many of the mods I wanted so I downloaded the legacy version and modding this game is extremely easy. You just have to drag an .ovI file into the mod manager called OpenVI and it configures everything for you or you copy a few files into install folder. Thats it Its really fun, the humor and memes around US society and culture always make me laugh. The radio stations are the most hilarious and I like playing the different characters because they all have unique missions and NPCs they interact with. The missions, activities and NPC are varied and memorable so I always have lots I want to do Its early days and Im 20 hours into it but having a blast

I dont know much about civil wars in Venezuela because I have only been following events in the country since Chavez and then researched its history from the 1960's But yes I see they have had 16 civil wars but they were all in the 19th century. So the history is there. But I still dont think modern day Venezuela has the appetite or committment for that type of conflict The biggest risk to this deal would be a Dem controlled government in power deciding this is not aligned to the US and abandoning it or changing US control of NABEP. I just dont see the current Venezuelan government ending it because of its necessity?

Trumps anger and targeting of Canada is the most inconsistent and illogical of any country he has ever ranted about. Canada has only been a friend to the USA and it creates no societal problems like mass illegal migration from its border Its good to see Carney standing his ground, if I was Canadian I would support the stance he is taking. You just need to get through the next few years and then any tariffs or targeting of Canada will end immediately And if Trump loses badly in the midterms as expected I imagine most of this irrational anger towards US allies will end or be curtailed because of Congress

We know all these potential problems but whats your suggestion for how Venezuela can rebuild its oil infrastructure? The country needs investment and it has a history of using forced nationalization of private sector companies that previously operated for decades in the country? This deal absolutely benefits the US but its also what Venezuela needs. If you dont support this deal what should be happening? I think its highly unlikely Venezuela will collapse into civil war. That didnt happen under the utter failures of the Chavez and Maduro governments because the state does have control of its security forces But its more because most Venezuelans just want a stable country where they have a future. So they are prepared to give this new government a chance and see how this investment unfolds and addresses the dire economic reality?

Yes, obviously the tax generated must now be used constructively by the new government to rebuild the country and create a better life for Venezuelans But that would apply to any government in any country. The reality is Venezuela needs investment to rebuild its oil sector. This is no different to any other example of FDI (foreign direct investment ) where a government gives specific concessions to a certain company which in turn only benefits a specific country. This agreement also only applies to 20% of Venezuela's proven oil reserves. So despite what Trumps ranting about its not all the oil. Also this deal will exist long after Trumps gone and I cant see even a Dem president trying to change it? The only thing unusual about this is how the Department of War will own 35% of NABEP and effectively have board decisions. So its a case of the US government directly controlling a private sector company unlike other private sector energy companies like Exxon or Chevron And this is not unusual globally where you see several examples of ME countries, Russia and China having direct influence or control of private sector investment throughout the world. This is common in Africa But you right that its critical that this new investment is used constructively when the tax revenue is generated to address domestic issues. And this can be done because if its not then only the US will benefit

https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/09/01/trump-vows-us-will-take-all-of-venezuelas-oil-as-deal-details-emerge The future of Venezuela's economic recovery now has an agreed on plan. It will greatly benefit the people of Venezuela to have functional oil infrastructure and investment and its very beneficial for the US Ignore the sensationalized headline, this US investment is about 20% of the country's oil and it involves investment in 17 new sites. The Chinese and Russians are going to seriously butthurt about the specifics of this deal because of its potential revenue generation and how the US has the greatest influence I can predict this will create the normal anti-American selective and inconsistent outrage but if Russia or China were doing this it would obviously be based and acceptable. End of the day Venezuela will also gain a lot after the decades of the failed and corrupt leadership of Chavez and Maduro. They gain investment and this will generate massive and much needed tax revenue for the country so they can start rebuilding there broken economy I have quoted the main parts below "A fact sheet released on Monday night by the White House named North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) as the operator at the centre of the arrangement, disclosed the ownership structure for the first time and set out what Washington gets in return. Venezuela's interim authorities have granted NABEP 100-year concessions over 17 fields with the agreement signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The Venezuelan reserves dwarf America's own, as the 65 billion barrels covered by the concessions compare with roughly 46 billion across US territory. In exchange for the inclusion in the deal, NABEP has given the US Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital a 35% equity stake in its corporate parent, which the White House says is worth up to hundreds of billions at zero cost to taxpayers. The US State Department also secures the right to buy 20% of output from all current and future NABEP fields at production cost, intended to partly refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, plus right of first refusal on the remaining 80%. Washington holds a veto over board appointments, a majority of directors must be US citizens and the agreement falls under US law and courts. NABEP has committed to investing up to $100 billion (€86bn) in Venezuelan oil infrastructure and is expected to pay around $200 billion (€172bn) in royalties and taxes over 25 years."

Efffective driving and flying is an important part of GTA4&5 You cant complete certain missions without doing this. Its recommended to use a controller for these activities and M\kb for combat. But I used M\kb for everything In other news I decided to replay GTA5 but I had to buy it again, its on 56% sales special on Steam so its a good time to get it. I am going to mod it extensively but I will keep you updated around my experiences because Im playing the enhanced version. The Steam version has gives you both legacy and enhanced

Mamie you do know you dont have to beat or kill hookers in any GTA game, you can just pay for there services

What !!! You joking Okay we need to address this immediately but first its important we confirm you will enjoy the core design because RDR and GTA are basically all the same and they not for everyone In summary they have this massive map where you go on specific quests\missions they considered action games with an open-world combat is always a big part of it and its relatively simple, if you die you normally respawn in the mission where you died so you dont waste time criminality is part of the fun in GTA and most of the missions are about breaking the law and you have to avoid the police you can randomly kill civilians or police but then you get a warrant and police chase you. But you dont have to do this as you explore the massive world you find random side quests and activities. These are all optional and dont progress the main story There are lots of activities to do like pool, hunting, parachuting, dating people and visiting strip clubs You gain money from completing quests which you need to upgrade your car and house and buy weapons GTA6 looks like there will be lots of illicit ways to get cash you dont have stat's or levels like an RPG except for health, stamina and GTA6 will have focus the map always has similar shops and places to buy resources, like each area will have a gun shop or panel beater or clothes shop its really fun driving on a bike or car and doing jumps or participating in races and just exploring the world each game always has people you interact with who give you quests and you can only finish the main narrative by completing all there missions which appear on the map at different times Its a fantastic gaming experience if you enjoy its core design. Its not a deep thought provoking narrative where you will reflect on what choices really mean But this type of action game never is

https://www.vice.com/en/article/gta-6-new-details-netflix-extended-look-previews/ After the Netflix update here are 150 confirmed features we know about the GTA6 Some of them are arbitrary but it is still relevant Im interested in things like Every region will feel distinct, with its buildings, residents, and overall atmosphere reflecting the local culture. Players who venture away from the main campaign may discover optional content that does not appear as a standard objective on the map. Unexpected situations and interactions can naturally appear while traveling across Leonida. GTA 6 will reportedly feature the largest collection of radio and television commercials in the franchise’s history. According to another preview estimate, Leonida may have nearly 11 times more populated space than GTA 5. Its going to be epic, its really time to get excited

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/gta-6-map-is-apparently-3-times-larger-than-red-dead-redemption-2-twice-as-large-as-gta-5/ The GTA6 map is 3x larger than RDR2 and 2x as large than GTA5 🥳 I spent 300 hours on the SP game of RDR2 exploring that massive world, its hard to think of a map being 3 times bigger than that epic game but large parts of RDR2 were intentionally empty of people because its a Western theme. So GTA6 will be different because its a modern state and city I also have been thinking of playing GTA5 again because of the wait for the PC version of GTA6 is going to take time. But this time I will use mods. There are hundreds of mods now and some of them look incredible I will only use mods that improve on the current mechanics like advanced hunting and more bank robberies and additional crime options. I wont install mods that dont make sense to the original design like playing a superhero character even though they exist https://www.gta5-mods.com/

But this type of understanding is a new level of ignorance and nonsensical insight I doubt even FOX would suggest that the UK has been controlling the USA for the last 125 years. I tell you where I think its coming from There has been a rejection of the Mainstream media (MSM) for years from people on both sides in many countries for different reasons. So they get there updates from podcasts and Internet commentators and influencers. And sometimes these other sources of information peddle the most sensationalized and illogical conspiracy theories out there But if thats all you exposed to and you believe its the " truth " you would think you informed What people should be doing is referencing both the MSM and these other sources of information if they want and then using common sense about what is true or not likely I use MSM and then sites like Reuters and the Economist. And once the same story is confirmed as credible for various reasons, like an embedded journalist in the country, real events or an actual interview, then it can be trusted But you always have to be aware of context So this lady probably gets her news from some obscure podcaster that is only popular to a certain group. She wont reference or be interested in other sources of information

@marelooke and @majestic This is so serendipitous, we were just talking about SOMA and I went to Steam today to check it again and its on 80% discount !!! It was fate telling me to buy it.....and I did 🥳

@rjshae What do you think, is this something they not teaching you in school about US history...she did say people must just research like she did? 😱

Excellent news, I have been looking forward to playing STALKER 2 for a while now but I was waiting for it to be more stable But I will wait a big longer for more official patches

I remember talking about this game because I play Frictional games and I enjoy them. I played Amnesia Bunker last To be honest I forgot about it, I must add it my list

I finished Alice Madness Returns after about 30 hours, its good fun for all the previous reasons I mentioned. I first played this game about 12-13 years ago and back then I couldn't defeat the end boss. I tried about 10 times and raged quit. But now I won the final battle on my 3rd try. I used a Controller this time so maybe that was the difference? Anyway this game gets 65\100 on the " BruceVC game rating system " and its recommended Then I played The Lightkeeper which is a horror adventure game where the protagonist is a WW1 veteran suffering from PTSD because of what he did in the war. He gets tasked to maintain a lighthouse on a deserted island and supernatural events linked to his past start occuring. It has some very scary moments but its very short. 3- 4 hours. But its fun for a single sitting game Then I played The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante which is a text based, CYOA where you make dialogue options and advance certain skills that give you further options and success around choices. I spent about 20 hours trying to get the right outcomes which was for me about becoming a noble and keeping my family together. I mostly failed and had to restart the main chapter several times but then at the end I reached the perfect outcome for my family but they all ended up getting killed in the riots at the end of the final chapter I had enough by then of the repetition so I stopped playing with that ending. This game is an entertaining distraction, nothing fantastic. It gets a 55/100

Yes, Republicans are suppose to be the fiscally conservative party. But under Trump that definition has vanished

The reality of this debt is both parties are responsible for its egregious increase https://www.reuters.com/world/us-debt-crosses-40-trillion-threshold-after-doubling-under-trump-biden-2026-08-19/ Whats the most concerning is how its doubled since 2017 and how both Trump and Biden are responsible but for different reasons which is all discussed in this link " The federal government's IOU has now more than doubled in less than a decade, from $19.95 trillion when President Donald Trump was sworn in for the first time in January 2017. Roughly one-third of that increase occurred during two years of frantic government borrowing to fund the COVID-19 pandemic responses undertaken by Trump and former President Joe Biden, while the fiscal policy choices of both presidents combined with long-running tax-and-spending imbalances account for the rest.""

That link doesn't work, this one seems fine https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/grand-theft-auto-6-leaker-says-they-wont-stop-until-rockstar-and-take-two-apologize-for-anti-consumerism-and-make-a-concrete-commitment-to-do-better/ This type of outrage makes me laugh, what do we define it as? " Game espionage\gaming terrorism " Clearly a global issue and important reason for hacking that matters around a better world " They also listed three "commandments" in the manifesto—no digital preorders, no "fake" (ie, already part of the game data) singleplayer DLC, and mandatory "offline fallback states" for singleplayer games—and warned that publishers who violate them will be subject to sanction: "Cyberleek will not stop until they issue a public statement and apology with a concrete commitment to be better. Words are not enough; restitution is mandatory."

Have you ever played any Dark Souls game more than once .......Mamie tell the truth

I never use to replay any game unless I forgot most parts of the narrative and that normally takes 12-15 years and its mostly from 2007-2010. But now I can replay games using mods because they change and improve so much But this applies mostly to Bethesda games so I have replayed Fallout 3&4 and F:NV and then Morrowind and Oblivion

I completed the Pale Beyond after about 15 hours. Its an excellent narrative survival game, no monsters or magic. Just the harsh reality of trying to survive being stuck in arctic ice in the early 20th century The first 70% of the game is all about intense decisions to ensure you have enough resources to get through winter and the game has a very good system of how you engage with your crew and how you need to gain there loyalty. So most dialogue options you have to balance between the outcome and how this will influence your relationship with the crew member The game gets a solid 70/100 on the globally respected " BruceVC game rating system " Now Im playing Alice Madness Returns. Its addictive and thoroughly entertaining with its movement and combat mechanics. The art and recreation of Wonderland is beautiful and I often stop and look at a landscape It has a few frustrating movement puzzles but once you comfortable with effective jumping its very rewarding to progress over an area.