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OpenAI & DOTA 2: Game Is Hard
Authored by Mike	updated August 10, 2018 August 10, 2018
This is part of a series about OpenAI's attempt to build an AI that can play a full game of DOTA 2 against humans. Earlier in the year I wrote about OpenAI's initial announcement. Last week, they played their first public match against expert humans.
I started playing DOTA 2 in January 2013 – a really exciting time to start, as it turned out. In the professional scene, a team called Alliance was making headlines, playing in a way that seemed completely unstoppable. In the months leading up to their appearance at DOTA 2's biggest event, The International, Alliance appeared in seven tournaments and placed first in all of them. Alliance only had one style of play, and were often criticised for this, but the simple fact of the matter was that no-one had an answer for it. It didn't matter if they were only showing one strategy – it was unbeatable.
This week, watching OpenAI's bots play against humans, I had that 2013 feeling again.
They're All Dead!
Let's get the obvious out of the way first – OpenAI's bots are exceptionally good at some aspects of DOTA 2. In particular, they're extremely good at teamfighting, when three or more players fight each other, using spells, basic attacks and items to deal damage and apply negative status effects to their opponents. The reason I say this is 'the obvious' is partly because the bots won 2-0, so you probably know they're good already, but also because this is the part of DOTA 2 we expected the bots to excel at first and foremost.
Their 200ms reaction time might sound humanlike, but in that 200ms window they are actually reading the entire map – not just what you see on-screen – and crunching extremely detailed numbers. If I want to know how much damage a hero will take from my spell, I would have to click the hero, note down their health, then hover over their statistics to find out how much spell damage reduction they have, add in my own spell amplification, and then do some multiplication in my head. In reality, I don't do this – like many human players, I end up playing by 'feel'. But OpenAI's bots don't need to play by feel, they can make extremely precise calculations and react extremely quickly, and it's truly unbelievable to watch.
Let's look at an example or two. Late in Game 1, the human player Fogged has purchased a special item called a blink dagger for his hero, Earthshaker. This is a very common item/hero pairing. A blink dagger lets you 'blink', or teleport, a short distance instantly, and Earthshaker has a spell that instantly disables enemies close to him. The blink dagger lets you get near people before they can react, and Earthshaker's spell also stuns them before they can react. In the image below, Fogged is circled in purple on the right-hand side of the screen. He's waiting for the enemy team to move into position so he can blink onto them.
If you watch the clip, what you'll see is that as he blinks in, one of the OpenAI bots instantly casts a spell called Hex, and turns him into a frog. In the image below, Fogged is still circled in purple, and the bot is circled in yellow. Hex wears off after a few seconds and Fogged does eventually cast his spell, but it gives the bots enough time to react and win the fight. Even though this is one of the most talked-about moments in the game, Fogged himself explains that he made several mistakes that gave the bots more time to react. There are ways to queue actions up in DOTA so they are executed one frame after another, but there's no way to cancel this if you change your mind. Fogged explains he decided not to do it – but if he had, it's possible the bot wouldn't have reacted fast enough. Nevertheless, it's a great bit of DOTA theatre, and you can hear the excitement in the commentator's voice.
Here's a second example, and one that I think is even more impressive. The human player Blitz, circled in red in the image below, has taken a lot of damage and tries to run away to the north. Two different heroes use their ultimate – their most powerful spell – to attack him. The first hero is Lich, circled in purple, on the far left of the screen – his ultimate is a slow-moving blue ball. The second is Sniper, offscreen in the direction of the yellow arrow – his ultimate is a bright white/yellow bullet. The combined damage of these two spells is just enough to kill Blitz – if either one had not been used, he would've survived.
Why is this impressive? In a human team it would be almost impossible to assess how much damage is required and co-ordinate with another player in time to use both spells to get the kill, in the space of a few seconds. What's more likely to happen is that one human would decide not to use their spell, and Blitz would escape. Alternatively, another common scenario is humans use too many spells, and waste vital resources they could use to get another kill or win a later fight. But OpenAI never does this – throughout all three matches, OpenAI's bots consistently use exactly the required resources to achieve a goal. No more, no less. As I mentioned above, in some ways this is exactly the kind of problem we expect an AI to be naturally good at, but it's still amazing to see it actually happening in such a complex game. I was consistently left speechless by the level of co-ordination and execution on display.
That's Playing To Win, Baby!
DOTA 2 isn't just a game about fighting, though. There are lots of things a hero can do besides fighting, many of which have more complex, delayed rewards. For instance, instead of fighting the enemy now, I could send my hero to go and earn gold by killing monsters, allowing them to become stronger for a fight later. But if I do that, the enemy team might take advantage of this, and try and attack my team's base, the key to winning the game. DOTA has lots of tradeoffs like this, and many of these decisions have impacts that are only really felt five, ten, or thirty minutes later. We already know OpenAI is good at the minute-to-minute play, but can it plan for the future, across an entire game?
The answer you get will depend on who you ask. Commenting a month ago, before he played in the exhibition match, expert player Blitz said that the bots had discovered and understood "one of the highest level plays you can make [in DOTA 2]" by learning to avoid parts of the map that didn't benefit them. Some of these strategies, he said, he had only been made aware of after eight years of playing the game, and Blitz is a top-level analyst, commentator and ex-professional player. This seems to suggest that the bots are reasoning about their overall team strategy at an extremely high level. However, I think there's reason to believe this is overstating things a little.
To give an example of why I think this is the case, let's look at two similar incidents that involve pulling. Pulling is a fairly intricate idea invented by players of DOTA 1. Without going into details, pulling manipulates the way AI-controlled soldiers move around the map, to deny resources to the enemy. In Game 1, the human team perform a pull, and the bots react in a very confused way. A human team would investigate where a pull normally takes place and contest it, but the bots stand around and do nothing. Click here to see a clip.
In Game 2 a similar scenario happens. The humans perform a pull, disrupting the flow of AI soldiers running through the map. This time, however, the OpenAI bots have placed a ward which provides vision in an area and allows them to see the pull happening. They instantly run over and fight the humans, killing both of them and completely disrupting the pull attempt.
The difference between these two incidents is clear – in one game, the bots can see what is happening and go to intervene; in the other, they can't see anything. DOTA 2 is a game about imperfect information, and gaining vision of the enemy is a big part of this. While the bots exhibit some understanding of this, they play better when they have knowledge of where the players are (which is to be expected, because definite knowledge is better than estimations).
Watching the bots play, it felt like vision was a crucial driving force behind a lot of what they did. Because of how reliably superior they are in teamfights, the bots take any opportunity they have to kill enemy heroes, which helps provide them with resources like gold and delays the enemy team from building up strength. What this means is that when heroes reveal themselves, OpenAI's bots seemed to want to go and fight them. Speaking after the series, Blitz said that "it felt like I was pressured at all times in the game" and that the bots "knew how to choke a map out", meaning that they starved the players of resources. I think the bots desire for constant fighting, and the reliability with which these fights were executed, contributed to this feeling of constant pressure.
This desire for constant fighting creates a positive feedback loop which leads to more fighting. Human players tend to gather resources near the safety of their towers. This draws the bots in, since the potential for both killing an enemy hero and attacking an objective exist in the same space. The humans either lose a fight or retreat, which exposes the tower, which the bots then attack and destroy. If at any point the humans decide to dodge an engagement by going to gather resources elsewhere, their presence somewhere else makes that part of the map a more appealing target to attack. This creates the feeling of constant pressure (helped by the fact that the bots are very efficient in their decisions of when and how to travel across the map).
So it seems possible that just a few basic guiding principles, combined with the ability to flawlessly teamfight, might be giving the illusion of a much more complex high-level understanding of the game. Instead of long-term planning, or modelling the distribution of resources across the map, my interpretation is that the bots have learned to always look for fights, and in doing so create a perfect storm of pressuring their opponents; taking objectives; and gaining just enough resources in return to fuel the next part of their attack. Unlike human players who employ a similar strategy, there's no risk of a miscalculation or an economic slip-up. The bots are always playing at the very edge of what seems possible, but they never slip up and fall over the edge of the cliff.
Of course, whether or not you agree with my assessment, one important thing remains true: it absolutely doesn't matter whether the bots are planning ahead or not. Because whether the bots are planning thirty seconds ahead or thirty minutes ahead, they're currently dominating every normal game they play, and until human players find a way to apply pressure on them, or possibly the lifting of restrictions makes the game harder for the bots, OpenAI don't really need to worry about finding other strategies. Much like Alliance in their run up to The International 2013, until a team can demonstrate they can beat the playstyle they've developed, they don't need to find a second one.
I… Uh, That Was… Questionable, At The Best
One thing I want to praise OpenAI for in particular is their approach to Game 3 of the series. The AI won the first two games, meaning it had already won the series under the rules of a Best of 3. To use up the extra time, OpenAI let the crowd pick heroes for the bots, and ran another game. In the first two games, OpenAI estimated its chance of winning at above 95%. After the crowd picked the worst heroes they could think of, OpenAI's estimate for Game 3 was below 3%. What followed was a victory for the humans, and showed up the limitations of OpenAI's approach, which was a very bold move and a great showing of vulnerability, something which most AI companies refuse to do.
Even though the draft was bad, OpenAI's estimation of a 3% chance to win surprised me. Superior mechanical skill can often combat a bad draft, and OpenAI had already proved they were very capable in that department. But as the game began, it became a little clearer why OpenAI had rated its chances so low – it seemed to be playing a very similar style to the first two games, even though its heroes were now very inappropriate for it. If anything, its aggression was ratcheted up even further: it sent four of its five heroes to the same part of the map at the start of the game, something absolutely unheard of in regular DOTA matches.
OpenAI's Game 3 heroes were mostly what we would call core or utility heroes. These are heroes which need one or two items to be effective, or who become more and more powerful the longer the game goes. Strategies which utilise these heroes normally rely on delaying the game and safely acquiring resources until they can become powerful. A hero like Slark, which OpenAI were given to play with, will gather gold for the first ten minutes, perhaps, and then start fighting when he has his first big item purchased.
But OpenAI didn't do this – instead Slark was sent in to fights, along with their other heroes. At first it seemed to be working, securing them a few early kills. But grouping heroes together like this leads to extreme diminishing returns. Experience points, awarded to heroes when they kill enemy players, are equally divided among all nearby allied heroes. That means each hero only received a quarter of the experience for each kill, and had to compete for the small amount of gold available too. This is why, traditionally, heroes spread out across the map initially, so core heroes can gather the resources they need to become powerful later.
As the game went on, and the bots began to fall behind, their behaviour became increasingly erratic. Some of the things the bots did seemed to have flashes of intelligence – at one point, Slark runs across the length of the map, distracting the NPC soldiers and delaying the progress of the human team. But although this might have some upsides, it's not close to what OpenAI needed to be doing (in my opinion), which was building up their big powerhouse heroes like Slark and using other heroes to buy time. Interestingly, even basic hero control seemed to suffer as the bots were pushed further out of their comfort zone: later in the game, Slark is seen running into an allied hero repeatedly in an attempt to move past her, something we didn't see in Games 1 or 2.
It's possible that my read on this situation is wrong. One argument might be that the bots are so sure that they cannot win a long game that instead they decide it is better to gamble on overwhelming the humans early. To me, however, Game 3 suggested that OpenAI still has issues planning in the long term, and as we explored in the previous section, mainly excels at aggressive, fast-paced, minute-to-minute DOTA. In the Q&A afterwards the engineers note that increasing the bots' ability to look into the future is one of their priorities, and it'll be exciting to see how their strategies change based on that.
I Can't Believe What I'm Seeing!
In August 2013 I watched my first International, the biggest event in the DOTA 2 calendar and the de facto end of the DOTA 2 competitive season. The Alliance had had a near-flawless run through the main event, reaching the final having only lost a single game. In every game it was the same story – teams would struggle to ban Alliance's best heroes during the hero selection phase, but they never had enough bans, and Alliance would secure something powerful. The game would begin, Alliance would dominate, and they would win.
In the grand finals, their opponents did something strange – instead of banning Alliance's best heroes, they instead used all of their bans on Alliance's most innocuous, least glamourous player, Akke. They removed the heroes he loved to play, and suddenly Alliance became unstable. Despite getting their best heroes, they lost Games 2 and 3 of the five-game series. Through a remarkable adaptation in Game 4, and a legendary series of events in Game 5, Alliance did eventually claw their way back and secure their World Champion title. It's a feat that is still talked about today as one of the greatest series in DOTA 2 history.
In a week or two, OpenAI will walk onto a similar stage at this year's International, and play a team of world-class professionals. Like the Alliance, they're coming off the back of a run of spectacular successes, and like the Alliance, they seem to only have one very powerful strategy. I don't know whether a human team will be able to upset the bots enough to give us as dramatic a series as Alliance had in 2013, but I'm fairly sure that regardless of the outcome, it's a series that will be remembered as incredibly significant in its own right.
A lot of people still joke that the Alliance didn't really play DOTA 2 – they won because the current state of the game favoured them, because of the way certain mechanics worked at the time, or because they played a particularly reviled style of DOTA that teams found hard to deal with. The same could be said of OpenAI's bots – we've seen clear evidence of their weaknesses, we've seen them make mistakes, we've seen them act strangely when they're pushed out of their comfort zone. But ultimately, a win is a win, and while OpenAI might not have a perfect understanding of every aspect of DOTA 2, whatever understanding it does have has created an extremely formidable team.
I'll be looking forward to the match, and eager to see whether more restrictions can be lifted by then. But regardless, it's a remarkable achievement to have gotten this far in just twelve months. I have a few more posts planned about OpenAI's project which I hope to write between now and then, but in the meantime, I highly recommend you check out bits and pieces of the exhibition matches, which can all be found at this link. Congratulations to both Team Human and OpenAI for putting on a great show.
Thanks to Azalea, Andrew, Chris, Fed, John and Charlie for reading drafts of this post.
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While we're counting down the weeks to our next PADI Instructor Development Course in November, our recent IDC graduates are getting busy with the business of scuba diving.
Our September IDC candidates, who are now qualified PADI OWSIs, are continuing their pro internships and wielding it to gain lots of experience here in Sabah, Borneo.
Yesterday our interns were knee deep in the business of scuba diving, because our PADI IDC Dive Centre on Gaya island was humming with students eager to learn how to dive.
Under the ever-watchful eye of Downbelow's resident PADI Course Director, Richard Swann, our pro interns busied themselves in all corners of the dive centre.
In one corner Sam had just completed teaching his first PADI Rescue Course, whilst in another Oliver was wrapping up teaching his first PADI Open Water Scuba Diver course.
One of our local interns, Matius, was also spotted giving his first fun-diving briefing as a Divemaster trainee.
And, surrounded by a group of 10 keen-looking students, were Wouter and Nena, starting day 1 of a group open water course. The group is the next batch of our European adventurers who join us for a month of action in Sabah, Borneo.
There's plenty more action to come over the next few days and we look forward to seeing more of our Instructors' professional skill being used in practice.
Sign up now for our November PADI Instructor Development Course in Sabah, Borneo and you too can benefit from Downbelow's professional internships.
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It is thus necessary for every individual to purchase reclaimed wood each time they want to do construction on the site or even build in the preferred project when they are need to. On the reclaimed wood one has to choose the best wood for him or her to get the best results of the entire project. Checking keenly on the expected reclaimed wood is essential to all the clients and interested individuals, this is because in the current market there are different types of the reclaimed wood such as toe reclaimed lumber and the rocky mountain reclaimed. Also it of necessity to do a clear comparison on the chosen reclaimed wood before making a decision on which to hire when the need arises, meaning one has to compare on the available wood such as the true reclaimed siding which is an environmental factor and the faux reclaimed siding which is used to recreate the look of reclaim.
The durability of the desired reclaimed wood should be taken into consideration by all the individuals. For a person to get the best and ultimate results of the all project then he or she will have to purchase a reclaimed wood that is durable at all times. Checking keenly on the durability of the desired reclaimed wood is very important to all the clients, meaning one has to choose the most durable which is the reclaimed lumber among all the available ones. It is important for a person to purchase a reclaimed wood that will meet their satisfactions in many ways.
The reviews of the expected reclaimed wood should be considered by all individuals. Checking on the reviews of the desired reclaimed wood is essential to all the customers, this is because it will make the decision making process easy by all means. Also on the reviews of the chosen reclaimed wood there is need for all the customers to get to know on the reviews, that is acquiring them from the previous customers or even in the internet when they in need. Choosing a reclaimed wood that has the best reviews is of importance to everyone, this is because they will get their needs satisfied.
It is thus important for all the customers to make sure that they consider the cost of the expected reclaimed wood. There is need for all the customers to choose the reclaimed wood that is of low prices at all time in that they purchase the reclaimed lumber since it is of low price, this is because of the difference in the financial status of the interested customers. It is very important for all the customers to put into consideration the factors above so as to get the reclaimed wood of their dreams.
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Finding the right answers for the financial troubles you might be facing is important. You can find answers to your money issues by selling your property. It is essential to settle for the right option before you embark on selling your property. Listing your house through a realtor or selling it to a cash buyer are some of the methods you can use to get your house off the market. It is also possible to let a real estate agency acquire your house. The following are major reasons why you ought to sell your house to a real estate company.
Selling the house as is, is one of the key advantages of letting a real estate investor buy your house. What this entails is that you can let the real estate investor buy the house without repairing it. The poor state of the house will not put off the real estate investor. After you allow them to buy your house they will proceed to carry out the repairs. Selling your house using the conventional methods on the other hand, will require you to carry out the repairs. The repair costs will therefore, be your responsibility. You will also spend so much time on the repairs.
Receiving instant funding is another reason you ought to sell your house to a property investor. Your financial troubles will easily be solved by access to quick cash. After 48 hours of the house inspection you will get an offer. You can also receive the full payment in cash. The real estate investor will take the burden of waiting for the bank to process the transaction off your shoulder. The other options cannot provide you with such a benefit.
Real estate investors also provide you with flexible payment plans. You can receive your payments in cash, pre-scheduled payments, certified fund among a host of other payment options. Asking the real estate investor to assume your mortgage payment is also another option. Additional services such as moving can also be acquired.
Another key benefit of selling your house to a real estate company is to avoid foreclosure. If you are behind your mortgage payments this will be highly beneficial. You can use the quick cash provided by the real estate investor to service your mortgage arrears. The responsibility to pay the mortgage can also be taken by the real estate investor.
Finally, the real estate investor will not charge you a commission. The other options cannot provide you with this kind of benefits. For instance, listing your house with a realtor will require you to pay a commission fee.
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An individual is required to keep the commercial doors in good condition because of the protection of items and properties in the business to avoid being stolen or affected by some external factors. An individual is advised to look for a repair service provider for the job instead of trying to fix it so to avoid errors. People living in or around Santa Clara are able to get more and quality services like replacing and installing the doors from the available repair service providers. One will be wise in considering the factors below so to get the best commercial door repair service provider.
An individual is required to do his or her own personal research first so to get the best commercial door repair service providers around. One can make a decision to conduct a personal research by checking their online platforms for comments and reviews they have received from previous clients like neighbors, family and friends. One should also consider knowing the experience of the commercial door repair service provider and how long he has been working. An experienced repair service provider will deliver the best repairing, installation and maintainance services required for the doors you have provided.
Another important factor one should not forget to consider is working with a professional commercial door repair service provider who is highly trained for the services. A commercial door repair service provider is required to provide his legal documents or educational certificates so as to assure the client that he is the right person for the job It is best for one to request the respective company to do a background check on the commercial door repair service provider. An individual is best advised to work with a confident repair service provider who offers valid warranties for the services he provides.
It is an important factor to confirm about the availability and customer care services offered by the commercial door repair service provider. An individual is also advised to inquire about the cost and charges that he or she will incur for the services offered by the commercial door repair service provider. An individual will be able to plan accordingly and decide to work with a commercial door repair service provider who fits the budget. One is also advised to consider working with a commercial door repair service provider who offers free inspection services to the doors before repairing to make sure they get to know the problem first. One of the factors to always put into consideration is deciding to work with a commercial door repair service provider who is friendly and has better communication skills to his clients.
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A pressure washing company be of importance to all the clients that they want be served with their services. For a person to get to satisfy their needs then he or she will have to choose the pressure washing company that if of their own choice. A person is then supposed to ensure that the selected company will be in a better position to offer their services to the appropriate clients at the expected time of the clients. For a person to get to make a conclusion on the kind of company to go for when the need arises, one has to therefore do a lot of research on the expected pressure washing company.
Considering the location of the chosen pressure washing company is of importance to all the interested individuals in all the situations. Choosing a pressure washing company that is from the expected location and the same market is very important to all the interested customers, this is because they will be able to take the one that Is the nearby. Also on the location there is need for a clients to make sure that they get to know more on the location provided, this is because of the increase in demand of their services in one way or the other. A person is the supposed to compare the distance between the chosen pressure washing company and the customer, this is because it will make it easier for one to be served with the required services.
Another important factor that should be taken into consideration Is the insurance of that given pressure washing company. In such cases there is need for a person to get to choose the company that have all the requirements for them to offer the services to their clients. It is very important for all the interested individuals to make the right decision when it comes to the validity of the insurance, this is because one will be in a position to take the company that has the valid insurance rather than the fake one. Doing a confirmation on the dates indicated in the issued insurance is very important, this is because it will enable one to check if the insurance is updated or not.
In addition of the above factors is very important for a person to consider the recommendation and the referral of the chosen pressure washing company. When it comes to recommendation and the referrals then one has to make sure that they take the company that its recommendation is known all over the market or the entire country. It is therefore of importance for all the interested clients to ensure that they get all the necessary information on the presented recommendation, that is acquiring tem from the previous clients or the friend in the entire market.
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A medallion or coin which often bears the company's insignia is known as a challenge coin. The challenge coins are generally worn by the members of the company. In most situation the challenge coins are offered to the members in order to stimulate their morale. Most of the challenge coins are often customized because companies have different insignias. Although, before you buy a custom challenge coin it is wise that you consider some elements.
Identify how you will be using the custom challenge coin. This is because the challenge coins can be used for different occasions. Recognizing how you will use it will lead you in understanding what will be emblemed in the challenge coin. Since you cannot make use of the same content used in a military challenge coin to a birthday party challenge coin.
Consider the kind of plating you desire your customized challenge coin to have. By this it is wise that you research on the plats available. Because this will aid make sure that you pick the right plating. Additionally it is wise that you make sure that the plating you pick fits your style. You can also use an expert to direct you on the plating you should pick.
It is good that you recognize the design that will be on the custom challenge coin. Through this make certain that your designs are unique. The design you choose to make use of ought to relate to the individuals you will be offering the custom challenge coin or the event. It is reasonable that you utilize a professional because they have knowledge on how to select the best designs.
Additionally, recognize the number of custom challenge coins you necessitate. Through this it is wise that you know the number of folks you want to give the custom challenge coin. This will help ensure that no one fails to receive them. Moreover, it is best for one to order extra custom challenge coins because it will assist make certain everyone gets one.
Consider on the size you require. It is essential to understand that custom challenge coin come in different sizes. Therefore you should take your time before you pick the size. Moreover, how you will be using the custom challenge coin will determine its size. Assess the edges you want your custom challenge coin to have. This must be among the first thing you think about before you resolve to obtain the custom challenge coin. By this make certain that you research on several edges and make certain that the one you choose to make use of suits you.
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We still don't know exactly when Mission: Blacklist will begin production, but thanks to the book's author we have something to smile about today. He shared this picture with Rob (posted back in November) on his Facebook page. Rob will play Maddox's character in the film adaptation of his book based on real events. Embankment Films will be pitching the film to potential buyers at Asia's Filmart in Hong Kong this month.
And if you're lucky enough to live in Oklahoma, you can meet Eric Maddox at an event coming up on March 27. Read all about it!
Just read that The Rover is in pre-production & will start filming in April, no date given.


text:
Mood: geeky
Fic Update AtS RPS JM/DB Chap 6 My Life as a Gopher
Hey everyone. So here's the next chapter of the adventures of Phil. I was inspired in part by inkingwords by her icon.
So here we go....
Chapter: 6
Pairing: Jimmy/Davey
Warnings: None really. Oh...oh yeah...um...RPS! RPS!
Disclaimers: I do not own ME, Joss, the boys, Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, the Miracles, Spaghetti Westerns as a whole - let's see, did I leave anything out? Oh, I do NOT know where there are any WMDs. I am not Spartacus.
Song is "Love Machine" by The Miracles.
"I, I, I'm just a love machine
And I won't work for nobody but you
I, I, I'm just a love machine
A hugging kissing fiend
la la la la la la la la la LA la"
"Phil!"
"I think it's high time you knew
When...."
"PHIL!!!!"
Oops. I was singing out loud again. But damn - pardon my french - I thought I was alone. Not only was I not alone, but the whole cast was standing there, including...
"Hey Phil."
"Chris!"
I ran up to Chris and he gave me a big bear hug because that's the kind of guy he is.
"Hey buddy, is Uncle Joss here doing okay by ya?"
I looked over at Uncle Joss who was turning really red.
I need to take a moment to tell you about Chris. Chris has always been a good friend to me. He may play the nasty lawyer Lindsay, but really he's a great guy. He would always invite me over to his house or he would come to mine and momma's (he always treated momma with respect because he always said a boy has to be good to his momma) and we would watch all the old classic comedies - you know, the ones from the 80's with people like Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray before they sold out to Hollywood and became "serious" actors. I remember one night watching our favorite movie together for the fifth time. It was Ghostbusters. Chris and me would compete with each other to see who could say the lines before the other could.
I think my favorite line in that movie is when they're being attacked by the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and Bill Murray says, "We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft is okay. He's a sailor, he's in New York. We get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble."
See? Even Bill Murray gets it. He was willing to get the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man laid. How hard would it be for someone to help me - I would certainly be alot easier to get a date for than a 100 foot tall marshmallow man.
I looked over at Uncle Joss.
"Why can't you be more like Bill Murray?"
Uncle Joss looks at me. "Bill Murray? WHAT THE FUCK?! SHIT?! WHAT...Bill? What the fuck are you talking about? Wait. No! I don't wanna know."
"He knows what a man needs. So do you. I know you're getting some and I'm not and I just wish you would...help me....get some....you know. Never mind."
Everyone starts chuckling and then Chris looks over at Joss who has this real weird look on his face. Whenever I have that look on my face, momma gets the Pepto Bismal.
"See Joss. He knows what a man needs cuz if a man doesn't get that need met," and while Chris was saying this he was making a motion with his closed fist next to his crotch and believe me when I tell you, I know this motion very well, "it could just fall," and he makes this popping sound with his lips, "off from non-use."
God, I hope that's not true.
It must not be because everyone starts laughing. Even Mister Boreanaz is pushed up into the corner doubling over laughing.
"Thank you Chris, for that public service announcement. Now, back to the other thing. What have I told you about not singing in public?"
"You said I couldn't sing while I was wearing my MP3 player, but I wasn't wearing it. I heard the song before and I was just singing it Uncle Joss."
Uncle Joss looks up at me and gets that look again. Oops, I broke another one of his rules: Thou shalt not call him Uncle Joss in front of the cast or crew.
"Don't call me that in front of," he starts jerking his head back and forth in the direction of Mister Boreanaz, Andy, J, Alexis, Chris and Jimmy, "them." He says this last word real quiet like.
Mister Boreanaz then steps out of the corner and puts his arm around Uncle Joss.
"Shit Joss, get over it. Who exactly are you fucking kidding? The kid's your freakin' clone for God's sake."
Everyone starts laughing again.
Okay now I know I can be slow sometimes. And I know that people make fun of me sometimes cuz of it. But now Mister Boreanaz just hurt my feelings. I'm not a clown. I was never a clown. And besides that -
I hate clowns.
"I'm not a clown!"
Mister Boreanaz looks at me really strange-like. I sure wish I had that bottle of Pepto Bismal right now. I suddenly feel like Clint Eastwood against Lee Van Cleef in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It was a showdown.
Suddenly Mister Boreanaz gets this sad look on his face. "I'm sorry, Phil. I didn't say clown - I said clone."
Clone?
"Clone! Clone! You know..."
Just then, Chris interrupted him. "Like the Stormtroopers Phil."
Oohh!
"Oooh! Okay then."
All of a sudden Jimmy looks at all of us and crosses his arms across his chest. "Clones! Huh! I hate when Hollywood uses such a ridiculous cop-out as clones in their story-line. Well, I for one, plan to never be part of such a shameless plot device."
He looks so much like Spike when he says things like that.
It was quitting time when I noticed Mister Boreanaz grab Jimmy and haul him into the janitor's closet.
I'm a gopher. I'm supposed to get these things for them. Of course, for the life of me, I can't figure out what they would need a mop for. There's people who do things like that for them.
All of a sudden I hear alot of noise in the closet and things banging around.
I wonder if they found the light switch? About 10 minutes later, Mister Boreanaz steps out of the closet with a big smile on his face while doing a little dance and straightening his tie.
La la la la la la la la LA la..."
Uncle Joss was right about one thing - Mister Boreanaz can't sing for shit.
Poll question:
Should Phil get his own journal? Just asking what you think - you know, he could comment and stuff with his own brand of witty repartie (and momma's wisdom of course).


Located just few minutes walk from the main square and only 100 meters from Zrinjevac park is the Downtown Zagreb Šenoina street, 1-bedroom apartment. With its 40 m2, this completely renovated apartment provides luxurious accommodation for up to 4 people. The apartment comes fully equipped with all new furniture and kitchen appliances. The kitchen itself comes with all the necessities such as the refrigerator, stove, coffee maker and all the essential cookware. Also, there is cable TV and wireless Internet in the apartment. Parking place is available in public garage which is located 100 meters from the apartment.